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[STLbf]

The Norths spent the night at Love Branches.  It's a wet, chilly morning. After a brief nest visit, DNF joined MrN on the BPT.  He flew away, then she flew back to the nest to glare at a visiting squirrel for about an hour, including one wing whap about mid-visit.  Good closeups of DNF also.

[STLbf]

Squirrel gathering leaves for its own nest this afternoon.  They are doing the same thing in my home yard. 

[STLbf]

Gray, rainy, cold, wintery today.  Eagles were in creek trees early.  For a bit of color, a male Northern cardinal stopped by the nest to nibble on bits of grass. That's the pic for this morning.  Several sparrows feeding on the ground but too distant to get a good pic or to identify.  Maybe later.

[Ginger52]

Beautiful pic of the male Cardinal, STL.  Yesterday a male and a female both visited, but cam didn't zoom in as close and I didn't get a pic.

Here are some pics from this morning of DNF preening.  Not sure where she was perched.







And, here's a closeup of the Belted Kingfisher(male) fishing from the Brush Pile.

[STLbf]

Ginger, some of the little birds are a challenge to photograph even when we can stop the rewind and move it in tiny increments.

DNF might be in branches to the south of the nest for the preening pics.  The cam ops do a really good job of zooming in and out to help us locate where the action is most of the time.  Or, she might be in a branchy tree to the north of the BPT where there's an eagle perching in view.

[STLbf]

Closeups of action on the nest this morning.  Profiles of MrN about 9:00, then he brought a headless rabbit carcass for brunch at 10:00. DNF flew in for the leftovers at 11:00. Remember that bones provide calcium for strong eggshells!

[MNLindaBird]

VERY noisy Red Bellied Woodpecker in nest at ~1:23 pm CST

[MNLindaBird]

Noisy RB Woodpecker back at 2:02 p.m CST with some beautiful close-up views.  Very colorful!

[STLbf]

LindaBird, might be the same RB woodpecker at the nest again this morning.  This time, it has been picking at the scraps from the muskrat meal earlier.  It's good to hear the woodpecker "chattering" as it works.  Also a Cardinal feeding on seeds.

[STLbf]

The Norths had a time being intimate on the bank of the creek early this morning.  They don't mate on the ground very often.  After, MrN brought a muskrat (I believe from the white claws) to the nest for DNF. They shared this meal without squabbling.  Mating season is in full swing!

[MNLindaBird]

The LIVE footage of Pileated Woodpecker boring hole into tree is something I have seen before.  HOWEVER, I had my neck craned upward each time in uncomfortable position for long time to enjoy a view.

This LIVE and up-close view we have today is unbelievable and so amazing.  Wouldn't it be something if eggs ended up in this "cave" that the Woody is carving - with a tabletop view (in my case).

Thanks to everyone connected with the high quality cameras we viewers enjoy, and for the cam operators who keep us wonderfully close to the noteworthy activities that Mother Nature provides for us.  You are the best!

[STLbf]

LindaB, watching the pair of Pileated Woodpeckers this morning has been soooo enjoyable. They mate for life, similar to our eagles, so this is a treat to see.  Looks like they are dining on insects, probably  ants, and maybe at the same time carving out a nest.  Wouldn't that be great to see them with chicks this spring?

[STLbf]

Meanwhile, the Norths are working on the nest and shared a fish for lunch.  MrN brings and eats part of the fish today, the DNF arrives to claim it without a squabble.  Fish bones are probably good for eggshell production.

[STLbf]

Early morning mating on the Love Branches, then several grass deliveries and arrangements during the morning hours.  Perching together on a branch behind the nest used in previous seasons as a favorite mating location.

Happy February y'all!  It's egg-laying month.   

[Ginger52]

STL -- Are you sure about the mating this morning?  I didn't notice it live and just now I went back in rewind and couldn't find it.  I did find that Mr. did some wing flapping and then DNF moved closer to him, but no mating.