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Author Topic: Decorah North Eagles 2024  (Read 106670 times)

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #555 on: November 27, 2024, 10:29:38 AM »

Brrrr, well below freezing this morning.  About 8:00, the Norths visited the nest to chatter, then DNF started forming a nest bowl, then moved to a large lower limb south of the nest.  About 9:00, a flock of geese explored the pasture near the creek [no pic], opposite the nest tree.  About 10:00 a red tailed hawk perched high in a tree north of the Claw Tree.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #556 on: November 29, 2024, 10:44:37 AM »

Temps in the teens this morning.  Eagles not in view, but a male hairy woodpecker was foraging on one of the medium sized limbs near the nest about 8:00.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #557 on: November 30, 2024, 02:00:33 PM »

Intense cold today; DNF keeps bringing sticks to the nest.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #558 on: December 01, 2024, 12:29:09 PM »

December 1, 2024, very cold & windy but no snow here.
Have you noticed that DNF's dark headfeathers seem darker this year than the last few?  Makes her easily identified when alone at the nest or on a perch.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #559 on: December 01, 2024, 04:32:11 PM »

About 4:00 this afternoon, two does at the creek bank, crossing the pasture, listening to dogs barking or turkeys gobbling, grazing under the nest area.  One adult doe, one this year's young.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #560 on: December 03, 2024, 01:04:04 PM »

Eagles at work early this frigid morning, just in time for Giving Tuesday!
Rewind almost to any time before 1:00 to see both MrN and DNF on the nest.
One nice view of the nest tree, with an eagle perched to the right.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #561 on: December 03, 2024, 03:23:33 PM »

More tantalizing views, around 1:00, of DNF perching north of the nest with a really big, long stick.  She makes an interim stop near the nest, where she drops the stick.  She poses there for a closeup before perching some more.  Is this location an old perching spot seen from a new angle?

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #562 on: December 04, 2024, 12:31:06 PM »

It's stick tango time, about 8:00 this morning, and again about 10:00.  Better on rewind or video.  Same for DNF trying to break off a stick, this time unsuccessfully, around 9:30 AM.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #563 on: December 06, 2024, 05:16:31 PM »

What a super busy, interesting day at the North's Valley!  All better on rewind or video, as ususally true, and special thanks to the camera operators for all the spectacular views most from challenging distances way across the creek.  I took lots of screen caps to share.

Day began with the Norths alert on the nest, then switched to them and several other eagles and red tailed hawks spending the whole day devouring a very large carcass, frozen at the far edge of the creek, north of the Claw Tree.  If a fish, it was a real whopper.  But what if not?  Look at early hours; by end of day, it had been hauled across the creek and was gone.

About 4:00 this afternoon, a hawk captured a pheasant on the ground near the nest.  LIVE and Grisly, so beware.  Guessing a sharp-shinned hawk, and it consumed the whole pheasant without being disturbed.  Remember the eagles where occupied with the carcass at the creek.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #564 on: December 06, 2024, 05:20:51 PM »

MrN and DNF went back to the nest a few times to move sticks around.  They are not in competitive mode, so the visiting eagles got turns at the creek-carcass without fighting.  Plenty for everybirdie.  Cam ops found 2 or 3 visitors perching, eating, flying around over the course of the day.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #565 on: December 06, 2024, 05:26:13 PM »

The Norths got their fill and returned to the nest to add and move more sticks.  About 11:00, 1 or 2 red tailed hawks took over the carcass for several hours.  Funny watching one try to drag it out of the water but still too heavy.

Starting about 3:30, a younger sub-adult BE worked on the now-smaller carcass and managed to drag it across the creek.  But we're not done yet!

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #566 on: December 06, 2024, 05:32:00 PM »

The younger sub-a got moved away by another visitor, I think, an older sub-a, close to 4:00.  By now the carcass is mostly gone; soon both flew away.  Good thing because the cam ops watched a hawk capture and consume a pheasant, right close up under the nest! I think a sharp shinned hawk, but need confirmation of ID.   If you are squeamish, don't watch this part on the video to come soon.

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #567 on: December 06, 2024, 05:33:31 PM »

Long, long set of posts and pics, but just too good to miss.  As the cameras went to night mode, MrN and DNF were on the nest to wish us all SEDS.

nanimal

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #568 on: December 07, 2024, 06:28:44 AM »

Thank you, STL, for documenting yesterday's busy and interesting day at the nest and in the valley! I saw bits and pieces of it live. Your commentary and pics were great!
They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth. ~ Henry Beston
REMEMBERING A GREAT MAN, 7-27-2015.  SOAR HIGH AND FREE, BOB
Dad Decorah, always loved and remembered

STLbf

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Re: Decorah North Eagles 2024
« Reply #569 on: December 07, 2024, 11:53:03 AM »

Thanks, nanimal, I was hoping it wasn't too much!  Still waiting for ID on the creek-caracss and the hawk that got the pheasant.

Saturday morning is less exciting, with sticks and grasses added to the nest from about 7:30 to 8:45.  The best pic is the view from the ground up to the nest as DNF flies in with a big load of grasses.  The cattle are out also, but no pic.