From RRP's FB page:
Decorah North
November 21, 2022: Mr North goes fishing...and swimming! -
https://youtu.be/WlXJDtxlVag. I've done both at the same time, so why not? Check out Mr. North's extremely cool polar plunge at 15 seconds. He almost looks like an osprey at the very end of his dive! He wing strokes through the water and ends up on the opposite side of the stream, grasping his prey tightly before he dispatches and eats it. It's a long way across the field, but we get some cool close-ups beginning at 5:18.
Why isn't the water frozen? Spring-fed streams in Decorah have large open spots through the winter. The water comes out of the ground at about 44 degrees and flows swiftly, which prevents freezing. The cold aerated water is ideal for oxygen-loving trout and the eagles that like to eat them!
November 18, 2022: Squirrel gathering nest materials -
https://youtu.be/rYS3zHI4vXQ. I thought this video was very funny. An intrepid fox squirrel gathers corn husks and stuffs them into its mouth before scrambling out of the nest!
Why is the squirrel risking an eagle's nest? Corn husks are a hot (pun intended) insulation material and the squirrel is safer in a tree than on the ground. Gathering husks from the field would require a dash of 20 or more feet across open ground - a big deal for a squirrel, especially when there isn't any place to hide! I enjoyed watching the squirrel's antics, although I'm not sure why it was running around the tree.