Decorah Eagles
April 1, 2011 6:41 AM   Subscribe

Watch Bald Eagle eggs hatch (live stream). The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. The eggs are supposed to hatch any time today.
posted by leigh1 (139 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
Fantastic - thanks for sharing.

The local aviary has two Falcon Cams for nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons. I follow their twitter feed and they've been live tweeting each egg that's been laid.

I love the big predator birds. This makes me happy. :)
posted by librarianamy at 6:54 AM on April 1, 2011


Gorgeous bird. Really does have a beautiful profile.
posted by longdaysjourney at 7:02 AM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


What a magnificent bird! Thanks for posting this. I'll be tuning in to this all day!
posted by DizzyLeaf at 7:21 AM on April 1, 2011


Gorgeous bird. Really does have a beautiful profile.

Beautiful plumage.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:22 AM on April 1, 2011 [4 favorites]


neat, i've got it on in the background... someone holler when it's about to hatch, please :)
posted by empath at 7:22 AM on April 1, 2011


This better not turn out to be an April fool's joke, with some alien eagle popping out of momma eagle's chest.

On second thought, that would be kind of awesome.
posted by bondcliff at 7:24 AM on April 1, 2011


I never saw a bald eagle in person until I went to visit my Mom in the Puget Sound area. She said "look" and I made her stop & pull over so I could look at this HUGE (they look so small on stamps, seals, monies, etc) AWESOME FREAKING BIRD on a telephone poll. Seriously magnificent & looks like it could kick your ass.
posted by pointystick at 7:34 AM on April 1, 2011


Nice advertising.
posted by notmydesk at 7:45 AM on April 1, 2011 [6 favorites]


The parents are so gorgeous that I can hardly take my eyes off of them. Thank you for posting this!
posted by PepperMax at 7:57 AM on April 1, 2011


Seriously magnificent & looks like it could kick your ass.

Yeah. Seeing a bald eagle in person really makes you say, "Oh, that's why we picked it."
posted by Rock Steady at 7:57 AM on April 1, 2011 [5 favorites]


Great stuff...

We're finally getting Bald Eagles returning to my area...what beautiful birds.
posted by tomswift at 7:59 AM on April 1, 2011


I think i saw a hole in one of the eggs.
posted by empath at 8:03 AM on April 1, 2011


I can't see the eggs, there is some kind of bird sitting on top of them. Someone poke it with a stick to make it move.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:18 AM on April 1, 2011 [6 favorites]


Last spring, I think it was, we were enjoying a beer in the back yard within the city limits of St. Louis, and my buddy, looking over my shoulder, almost chokes. "The fuck!?!?" Landing to perch in the tree across the street was a Bald Eagle.

Now, I've been up to Grafton, IL to try and take pictures of them at their winter roost. But never up close in "the wild". Goddamn, that's a big, tough-looking bird. Like it'd just as well eat your liver than look at you (incidentally, a good description of US foreign policy, sometimes). *That's* why they picked it for a national bird.
posted by notsnot at 8:20 AM on April 1, 2011


Someone poke it with a stick to make it move
Not volunteering for that!
posted by pointystick at 8:23 AM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Magnificent, thank you for sharing.
posted by londonmark at 8:34 AM on April 1, 2011


Dad's there too now.
posted by zeoslap at 8:41 AM on April 1, 2011


From the FAQ:


How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.


(emphasis mine). This seemed so outlandish to me, I actually looked up the density of various kinds of wood, and it seems to be reasonable. If you were looking for more proof of the badassitude of eagles, well, there it is.
posted by GIFtheory at 8:41 AM on April 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


Haha, shift change, I love it.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 8:42 AM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


They just did a shift change and I swear those birds are blocking the camera on purpose.
posted by victoriab at 8:44 AM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Sometimes I wish I had Bill Gates kind of money so that I could come up with idiotic schemes, simply to amuse myself. You know, something utterly ridiculous, but you have so much money that people would pretend you were not insane, pocket the money, and walk away wondering how long ago you totally lost it. Set up a foundation, invest money, hire a few people, all as a complete joke, but maintain it like I was completely, totally serious about it the whole time.

I have come up with two schemes so far. One is to start a foundation to provide toupees for the bald eagles. The other is a shelter for battered cod.

I dream that some day I will have the cash to actually do one or the other, because it would amuse the hell out of me to stage a joke that elaborate.

If anyone wants to help out, we can start with these eagles here. Bald, both of them. Start measuring for the toupees.

posted by caution live frogs at 8:55 AM on April 1, 2011


Wow was she ever giving those geese the stink-eye
posted by caution live frogs at 8:55 AM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I wonder if there's any evolutionary survival benefit to the "baldness" or if they just think its sexy.
posted by longdaysjourney at 8:58 AM on April 1, 2011


Sorry, that should be "practical evolutionary survival benefit". Increased attractiveness to the other sex would also be a benefit, but perhaps not in keeping one's stomach full/chicks healthy, etc.
posted by longdaysjourney at 9:01 AM on April 1, 2011


Well, I'll probably be at work when the eaglets hatch, but having this open in the background is a great ambient soundtrack.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:07 AM on April 1, 2011


Well if they think it's sexy it at least isn't a sexual selection thing, because the males and females have the same color patterns. But it could be as simple as "Am I an aggressive, territorial male? Or am I a receptive female? Ha ha, you can't tell if I am a guy or a girl until you get close, so you sure as heck better be sure you want to get close before you fly on over. You feeling lucky?".
posted by caution live frogs at 9:08 AM on April 1, 2011


The nest weighs 1.5 tons? That's just..........dude...........eagles.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:11 AM on April 1, 2011


it's still sitting on the nest but now it's looking over its left shoulder
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:29 AM on April 1, 2011


The google ads on the video are a little ridiculous - "Industrial Bird Control - Get Rid of All Types of Pest Birds!"
posted by elizardbits at 9:50 AM on April 1, 2011


My hometown! Cool!
posted by hal9k at 9:59 AM on April 1, 2011


WHAT is over that bird's left shoulder?
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 10:00 AM on April 1, 2011


WHAT is over that bird's left shoulder?

I think it's trying to put the back of its head toward the wind.
posted by empath at 10:01 AM on April 1, 2011


Here's another eagles nest livestream out of Blair, Wisconsin that I check every so often. Sometimes they get a squirrel or rabbit and bring it up to the nest to tear it to pieces.

http://eagles4kids.com/
posted by BirdD0g at 10:04 AM on April 1, 2011


Did anyone see the eagle yawn? So cute.
posted by ohohcyte at 10:14 AM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I just got an ad for owl pellets. That's literally all the ad said: "owl pellets".
posted by dirigibleman at 10:15 AM on April 1, 2011


I saw that yawn... cute yes, but also intimidating; that bird's beak could probably snip off a finger as if it were so much jerky.
posted by kinnakeet at 10:16 AM on April 1, 2011


Good thing I have two monitors, so I can have the eagle cam on one and the San Francisco peregrine cam on the other. Oh, I need room for Outlook and other work stuff? Hmmm....
posted by rtha at 10:17 AM on April 1, 2011


If you're the impatient type, you can watch a nest in Virginia with bald eaglets that hatched a couple of weeks ago. Here's a slideshow of the first egg hatching.
posted by Dojie at 10:17 AM on April 1, 2011


Is this a different camera angle, or did the bird just turn around to show us its butt?
posted by elizardbits at 10:18 AM on April 1, 2011


Whoops - that was the video of the first egg hatching. The slideshow is here.
posted by Dojie at 10:18 AM on April 1, 2011


The dramatic panning by the camera operator is really building the suspense.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:34 AM on April 1, 2011


You know what really ruffles this bird's feathers? The wind.
posted by mintymike at 10:51 AM on April 1, 2011


Uh, is that lunch?
posted by mudpuppie at 10:57 AM on April 1, 2011


Hey, breakfast!
posted by rtha at 10:58 AM on April 1, 2011


Brunch.
posted by rtha at 10:58 AM on April 1, 2011


What did the other eagle just bring?

(And that eagle was definitely just looking us right in the eye.)
posted by fignewton at 10:58 AM on April 1, 2011


What is it? It looks like a shrunken head.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:58 AM on April 1, 2011


OMG you could see the eggs. They don't look cracked at all, but damn if he/she isn't private about the matter.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:21 AM on April 1, 2011


The black spot on the one on the left looked like it had been chipped away, but it could just be schmutz.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:23 AM on April 1, 2011


constant nest maintenance
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:38 AM on April 1, 2011


CONFIRMED CRACK/HOLE IN ONE EGG
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:20 PM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Aiee! Huge gust of wind almost knocked that eagle out of the nest.
posted by notmydesk at 12:27 PM on April 1, 2011


Metafilter: Be respectful, polite, and focused on eagles.
posted by ofthestrait at 12:38 PM on April 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


Shhhh.
posted by Doofus Magoo at 12:39 PM on April 1, 2011


We just got a beautiful shot of the eggs.
posted by ofthestrait at 1:11 PM on April 1, 2011


Are these eggs or bags of hammers? Hatch already you stupid tiny eagles so I can see how cute you are. Jeez.
posted by notmydesk at 1:12 PM on April 1, 2011


Srsly, I am starting to feel taunted and betrayed. And apparently a little impatient.
posted by elizardbits at 1:14 PM on April 1, 2011


The eagle is really eying that school bus.
posted by dirigibleman at 1:18 PM on April 1, 2011


Yeah, it's giving it the eagle eye.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:20 PM on April 1, 2011


More egg shots now!
posted by ofthestrait at 1:25 PM on April 1, 2011


Raptorcam in making my day. Is this still the female, or did they switch when I wasn't looking?
posted by vortex genie 2 at 1:28 PM on April 1, 2011


I'm pretty sure that's a rabbit carcass off to the left there...
posted by caution live frogs at 1:28 PM on April 1, 2011


MetaFilter: I'm pretty sure that's a rabbit carcass off to the left there...
posted by Rock Steady at 1:35 PM on April 1, 2011


You see how it snuggled down on those eggs? Cute.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:12 PM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Eggs!!! I don't see any cracking or chicks...just very warm, well loved eggs.
posted by victoriab at 2:30 PM on April 1, 2011


So.....the sun's going down. Does this camera have a night-vision setting? Don't leave me hanging like this.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 2:55 PM on April 1, 2011


Yeah, the camera has an infrared mode.
posted by ofthestrait at 3:04 PM on April 1, 2011


My wife is about to come home from work to find me still watching EagleCam, but the situation will be made much worse by her hearing Cortex beanplating Ziggy.

Days off! They're awesome!
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:16 PM on April 1, 2011


I think it might be starting! Big eagle was making some noise, then I'm sure I saw at least one egg move on its own! I think!
posted by amtho at 3:56 PM on April 1, 2011


I see a claw!
posted by bq at 4:09 PM on April 1, 2011


OMG TINY BEAK!
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:09 PM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


They're hatching!
posted by Doofus Magoo at 4:09 PM on April 1, 2011


shift change
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:10 PM on April 1, 2011




Looks like the eggs are pipping but not hatched yet. Ma or Pa is being careful not to sit on them and frequently looking down as if noticing something new.
posted by localroger at 4:13 PM on April 1, 2011


yep, definitely rabbit for dinner
posted by victoriab at 5:24 PM on April 1, 2011


Sleepy eagle is sleepy.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:13 PM on April 1, 2011


Re: Eagles
I recently worked on the King County landfill in Renton WA, and the staff were total eagle fanatics. In early Feb., they hadn't quite come back yet, but the staff knew they would be back soon. The next time, near to the end of the month, there were ~12-20 big eagles that put the 3000+ crows off there roosts in the cottonwoods every morning. The crows bitched, but big is big. They also live off of the dead seagulls which are regularly offed when they approach the live "tipping edge" of the landfill, (by the control officer). Eagles are cool. (and BIG). It was really cool to see all the raptors catch the thermals off the methane flaring stacks, (BOOM, straight up). Oh yeah, they also nest right next to the landfill.
-lcc
posted by primdehuit at 6:42 PM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


their roosts
posted by primdehuit at 6:44 PM on April 1, 2011


So, the control officer shoots the sea gulls? What is the tipping edge?
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:44 PM on April 1, 2011


Yes, it seems his job is to harass/kill the gulls that venture too close to where they are actively dumping the giant trucks that hold the ripe stuff...
-lcc
posted by primdehuit at 6:52 PM on April 1, 2011


PS, to be fair to the landfill folks, they cover the whole ripe edge every night, and uncover it in the morning when the trucks come rolling in...
posted by primdehuit at 6:54 PM on April 1, 2011


It looks like all 3 eggs have holes in them now.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:08 PM on April 1, 2011




Am I the only person still watching? Want to see the baby birds!
posted by pointystick at 7:13 PM on April 1, 2011


My wife's homebirth took ~56 hours. I can be patient in these matters.

but seriously, hurry up baby birds
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:16 PM on April 1, 2011




The ones one the ease coast are a bit ahead...
http://www.wvec.com/marketplace/microsite-content/eagle-cam.html
posted by primdehuit at 7:27 PM on April 1, 2011


east... damn.
-lcc (going to bed...)
posted by primdehuit at 7:28 PM on April 1, 2011


Quitter.

I'm in this for the long haul.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:28 PM on April 1, 2011


If you think our Iowa eagles are amazing, just wait for this fast-paced annual Iowa event to return again.
posted by webhund at 8:10 PM on April 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


Video of first hatch; Second hatch is imminent
posted by ohohcyte at 5:25 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


That is some fluffy cuteness right there.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:48 AM on April 2, 2011


That is the most adorable ball of dryer lint I have ever seen.
posted by elizardbits at 6:55 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


Shift change. Weird...is anyone else getting really bad reception from the camera now...lots of pixels and noise...I don't remember this from yesterday at all. Also, I can still just see one cute fuzzy baby with no action from one of the other egg...can't see the third egg/baby.
posted by victoriab at 12:20 PM on April 2, 2011




first feeding coming up: rabbit guts!
posted by progosk at 1:32 PM on April 2, 2011


A meal has been acquired. It appears to be a rabbit. There's a lot of frantic peeping and gaping from the hatchling as the adult rips the rabbit apart.
posted by rtha at 1:32 PM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]




jinx, progosk.
posted by rtha at 1:35 PM on April 2, 2011


To celebrate this momentous occasion, I am tearing apart a doughnut.
posted by rtha at 1:37 PM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


perfect position to camera, both of them, it's as though they're doing it for show...
posted by progosk at 1:38 PM on April 2, 2011


This. This is what the internet is for.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:41 PM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


back to sitting on the little guy
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:41 PM on April 2, 2011


Really quite something to watch. I mean, all mammal moms need to do is be there, whereas this deliberate, complicated, delicate feeding (presumably both parents will do this in turn), is pretty sophisticated stuff to know how to do. Sure, they're not first-time parents, but just imagine them just going on instinct (right?) the first time...
posted by progosk at 1:43 PM on April 2, 2011


(Notice steel-willed dad/mom, taking nary a nibble of the fragrant rabbit giblets, glistening right in front of him/her...)
posted by progosk at 1:47 PM on April 2, 2011


progosk, I thought the same thing about building that nest. 5-6 feet across and deep, weighs ~3,000lbs. Masters in Aviary Engineering required.

Nobody taught them how to do that, they just got the urge, and then BAM: nest.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:47 PM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


A lot of nests are used season after season, and are added to and remodeled over the years. I mean, a basic, first-ever nest is going to be a pretty decent size, because eagles are big! But a 10-year-old nest is going to be gigantic.
posted by rtha at 2:09 PM on April 2, 2011


Eat it, little guy!
posted by The Potate at 2:33 PM on April 2, 2011


Close-up on the sitting adult - man, is that an intimidating bird, or what. Those pale eyes, that huge beak....Makes me glad I'm not the person who has to band the chicks of raptors this size.
posted by rtha at 2:59 PM on April 2, 2011


Man. Mama (I think) Bird's preenin' herself and Baby Bird I like there's no tomorrow.
posted by The Potate at 8:29 PM on April 2, 2011


And she keeps rolling Baby Bird I back underneath her, just like it's an egg or something.
posted by The Potate at 8:31 PM on April 2, 2011


Second egg has hatched.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:57 AM on April 3, 2011


Are they eating leftover rabbit?
posted by rtha at 8:26 AM on April 3, 2011






This is soo cool. Am still enthralled watching the parent eagles and their eaglets. Two hatched and one to go.

Such an interesting combination of feelings, watching the eagle tenderly feed the fluffy newborns with that immense raptor beak, incredibly delicate with those powerful talons and the squickiness of the rabbit corpse (aww the bunny!).
posted by nickyskye at 1:09 PM on April 3, 2011


I think they're eating a bird now
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:58 PM on April 3, 2011


they've also got a fish.
posted by needled at 4:04 PM on April 3, 2011


So, after showing this to a friend (who just moved back from Seattle) last night, she related this tale:

Someone was cutting down a tree on their property in the Pacific Northwest and found an eagles' nest in the fallen tree. Oh no! Upon further inspection, they found several collars of small pets in the nest. Apparently the eagles had been nabbing small dogs and cats in the area.

Fuck yeah eagles.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:18 PM on April 3, 2011 [2 favorites]




It's The Truman Eagle Show. Wow, such a varied meal selection in just one day. I love the way the parent eagles do that rocking thing from side to side when they nuzzle down onto the egg and eaglets. Very endearing that.

And the way they nod off at night. Aww. I didn't know any bird put its head down like that, as if on a pillow.
posted by nickyskye at 6:18 PM on April 3, 2011 [2 favorites]


It's like a buffet up in that nest now.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:02 AM on April 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


There is something disturbingly adorable about the sight of a large, fierce predator using a dead...bird? rabbit? fish? as a pillow.
posted by rtha at 12:18 PM on April 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


The chicks are being fed something right now that looks like a woodchuck. Mmmmm woodchuck...
posted by rtha at 1:36 PM on April 4, 2011


LOL, ewww, the beautiful raptor buffet. Aww the woodchuck. Wow, those eagle eyes are sort of snowy gray-white.
posted by nickyskye at 1:57 PM on April 4, 2011


I've learned that eagles are very adept at sitting.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:27 AM on April 5, 2011




I'm concerned about the younger of the two babies. Doesn't it seem like the older one attacks it a lot, and keeps it from getting any food?

(I spend way too much time thinking of these birds....)
posted by silverstatue at 10:54 AM on April 5, 2011


San Francisco peregrines have now hatched two chicks. I think there's another egg to go. Nest cam!
posted by rtha at 1:57 PM on April 5, 2011


silverstatue - tough to watch sometimes, that. Descriptions of eagle-rearing tend to underline the fact that the parents do not intervene, even if one sibling kills the other. But all this watching made me realize that the sitting eagle certainly does do one thing to quash the violence: it sits on them!
posted by progosk at 4:21 PM on April 5, 2011






Damnit, I just composed a post rounding up some raptor nest cams (these red tailed hawks at NYU are pretty great) before seeing this, but I have to admit the eagle cam clearly wins.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:07 PM on April 6, 2011




The nest weighs 1.5 tons? That's just..........dude...........eagles.

Omg, I thought that was a big nest. Love the kitchen area with the smorgasbord of carnivores' gourmet delights, the verandah/deck area, master bedroom obviously king sized with a picture window from which those adorably fluffy, little aggressive rascals are now constantly peering. But I didn't realize it is that big. Whoah. 3000 pounds?! That's immense. Major Hollywood mansion there. Obviously they have a maid who comes in, the place is immaculate. That or they poop over the edge.

A 3-ton nest even. wow, they're serious building contractors.

Those kids have a hard childhood. "Another study estimated that only 11 % of eagles were alive after 3 years of life."
posted by nickyskye at 4:07 PM on April 7, 2011


This ongoing webcam of the eagles and their fledglings has given me a sort of anchor of hope and inspiration during the catastrophic Fukushima crisis. I just wanted to thank you again leigh1 for your post.
posted by nickyskye at 12:34 PM on April 8, 2011


Is that a dead baby bird in the nest? I think that's a dead baby bird in the nest.

thank you for the extra formatting options on the mobile site. really nice
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:19 AM on April 9, 2011


It looks like there are still 3 live chicks but the biggest chick is easily double the size of the smallest...I can't imagine that bodes well.
posted by victoriab at 8:50 AM on April 13, 2011


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