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[Ginger52]

STL -- Here's a pic from today where I've circled the Spit area.



Here are a couple of pics from 5/16/21 of the Spit.

[Ginger52]

DNF and Mr. North tonight on the Scary Tree.

 

[STLbf]

Ginger, thanks for the pics of the Spit area.  I remember from this spring.  The cam ops don't show this close-up view much in the late summer, probably not much activity there now.   Great to see the Norths together last night!

Early views found a ruby-throated hummingbird feeding then perching on a twig, then a white-tailed doe feeding on the tall weeds, about 8:30AM.

A red-tailed hawk is perching in the Skeleton Tree at 11:00.

[nanimal]

Great night-time pic of GNF and Mr. North, Ginger!
I've really enjoyed watching the North family (and all the birds and other wildlife, too) this season and hope all journeys for the kids are safe ones. Many thanks to RRP and to everyone here for sharing your wonderful pics and conversation. They enrich my experience, especially when my viewing time is limited.

[STLbf]

Such an enlightening and enriching season for all of us watchers of the Norths!

Close-ups of two red squirrels from about 12:30 today.  Wonder what the relationship is?

[Puff]

Seemed to me that they were both looking for a different result/outcome.   STLbf

P

[Ginger52]

When cam op panned the stream this morning I noticed that the bouncy branch on DN12's tree is no longer there.  During the time when the pasture cam was out of commission for a few weeks we couldn't really see that tree with the cam that was still working.  I'll miss that branch.  It was a great place for the fledglings to perch and the parents perched there at times also.

Update:  CamOp Spish commented on the Explore site:
"Fell a while back (that night when we had a storm with DN15 on left side perch) was hanging over the creek still and DN16 was using it. Two days back one of the fisherpeeps moved it aside - so no more DN12’s perch.."

This morning's pic.


Pic from 6/19/22 -- DN15 perched on the branch of DN12's Tree.
 

[STLbf]

Ginger, thanks for the info and pics about the low hanging branch at DN12's Tree.  Here are two pics from June 21 -- my personal favorites from this season for this particular tree.

[STLbf]

Eastern Wood Peewee at 4:00 on that twig hanging down in the middle of the cam shot -- from the Perching Branch maybe.  The peewee caught two bugs in just seconds before flying away.  And a blue jay in the Skeleton Tree a few minutes later.  Jays are making a loud fuss at the cattle.

What a wonderful season, brought to us by everyone at RRP.  Thanks to all the camera operators, and especially to the farm owners, who allow us visual access to the North eagles and all the wildlife and farm animals in the Valley. 

Be safe while the cameras are off, and we'll see you again soon.

Note: bird ID corrected, thanks to Ginger, see her post below

[Ginger52]

STL -- I've always thought that was an Eastern Wood Pewee, but I'm not very good at flycatcher ID's.  How can you tell it's an Olive-Sided Flycatcher?

[Ginger52]

Ginger, thanks for the info and pics about the low hanging branch at DN12's Tree.  Here are two pics from June 21 -- my personal favorites from this season for this particular tree.

Those are both great pics, STL.  Thanks for posting them.

[STLbf]

Ginger, I think you are correct about the flycatcher-peewee identification, that it is an Eastern Wood Peewee.  I've never seen one in the wild so was working off pictures at AllAboutBirds and my paltry resource books.  Anyhow, the white wing bars are details of the EWP, which I had missed. The olive-sided does not have wing bars; instead it has patches of white underneath the wings.  Also the range of olive-sided is more northern than Iowa, while the EWP lives all over the area we are watching.  They both have the "big head" almost a crest or helmet shaped head that distinguishes them from sparrows and warblers.  I'll change the photo labels.

[Ginger52]

Thanks for looking into the flycatcher ID, STL.  At various times when I've run the Merlin ID sound app it's frequently listed the EWP as being heard at DN but often its been hard for me to pick out its call.

I very much appreciate all the narrative and pics that you've posted this season.  You've really carried this thread and I'm sure a lot of peeps who read but don't post have appreciated it as well.

I already miss the live cam    and can't wait til October...

[STLbf]

Ginger, thanks for the kind words!  Others have posted nice comments also from time to time.  The best part about this Forum is that it doesn't get snarky.  Eagle education rules!

Three or four years ago, I got attached to the North nest eagles, when they didn't get as much attention here as the Decorah pair. I have learned so much from watching and taking pics and posting and discussing with others who do the same -- like you! 

The Flyway cam stays on, and maybe the GSB cam.  At least they are both going strong today.  October will be here in just a few weeks.   

[T40cfr403]

From RRP's FB page:

Happy Fri-yay, everyone! We're a little over halfway through camera work and we wanted to share a few updates! To date:
- We replaced a camera and added a new camera at the North nest. We're super excited to share the new views with everyone: this camera is in a tree to the side of the nest and will give us a brand new perspective on nest activities. We also did some trimming.
- We cleaned cameras and did a lot of trimming at N2B. Two things really struck us: without constant replenishment, the nest has really compacted and shrunk, and without constant eagle trimming, small shoots and suckers had taken over the branches. We were surprised by the amount of trimming that needed to be done!
We'll start streaming again on October 8. Watch this space and our website for more information. Thank you so much for all of your support and for being patient during our maintenance month: for watching, sharing, learning, and especially for caring.


John hard at work on the new camera system.


A look at the North nest. It's not easy to work on rope: the leverage is all wrong and the branches don't always let us hang where we want. We built scaffolding to make accessing and replacing the cameras easier. We remove it as soon as we are done!


Amy trimming on the Skywalk. We got it trimmed back to the end!


What is it with the North nest squirrels? They shredded this camera mount in the one place it wasn't protected.


It's all protected now!


Kike working on camera replacement.


Mr. North inspecting our work on September 22. He seems to have approved it!


Kike and Dave Kester at our banding blind. We run this project with Luther College and are very excited about this year's group of interns!


If you look closely, you'll see Kike working in a tree at center. He is placing the new camera: not an easy place to do it, since part of the tree was dead and only one person can be up there at a time.


A closer look.


Random tractors at the Kwik Trip on Highway 9 and Short Street. The one at rear is an Avery 'Eagle'. The owner told me it was one of six metal Avery tractors left in the world.


We go through a lot of this! Amy did some camo work this year, but John Howe is the true camo Old Master painter!


Enlarge this and you'll see the scaffolding from below. The nest is about 55 feet off the ground and the scaffolding is 65-70.