Decorah Eagles - 2014 Edition

[lagomorphmom]

2014 viewing on Ustream can be viewed here (as well as videos of the egg laying, hatching, etc. as time goes on)
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

If you have trouble viewing, just the stream can be found here: http://www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Decorah_Bald_Eagle_Nest.html

Raptor Resource Project Blog is here: http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/

2014 timeline: 1st egg laid 2/23, 2nd 2/26 and 3rd on 3/2. Estimated hatch dates: 4/2,4/3 and 4/6.

D18 hatched this morning 4/2/2014 at 9:22AM Decorah time. No small feat as last month saw single digit temps for much of the incubation period.
Mom just finished feeding D18 some sort of bird.

For those returning, this is Nest #2. Information about why they built a second nest is here: http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2013/03/about-new-nest.html

Raptor Resource Forum (Includes teaching activities for the kids): http://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php/board,31.0.html

Cameras are much improved from 2012, very hi-def, color and IR at night.

[lagomorphmom]

Here's a great link to the forum regarding the hatching process - would be great to share with kiddo's in the family so they learn about this process while it's happening!!!

http://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php/topic,1870.0.html

[makgirl]

Two of the 3 eaglets have hatched....third one any day now...soooo dang cute, check 'em out!
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

[3PinkRoses]

Here's a recap of past 2 years
Eagles were in nest 1 and D (Decorah) 12, D13 and D14 were hatched in 2012.
2013....  D15, D16, and D17 hatched. I believe D12 and D13 met their death early in life, after fledging, by electrical wire

Mom and Dad built Nest 2, across the span in a different tree, but same area and were visible only from Nest 1 camera.

Raptor Resource set up new cameras etc in nest 2 and today we have  D18, D19 and soon D20...along with the best ever, clear live streaming of the hatchling's, mom and dad, etc.

They have a Facebook page and the Ustream is awesome...even with sloooow connections in WW. It streams now for me, no buffering and talk about cute.
Today is a beautiful Spring Day in Decorah, Iowa and it doesn't take long for the hatchlings to peek out from under mom or dad. 

[makgirl]

Number 3 just hatched this morning (couple of hours ago) check 'em out.....two are being fed RIGHT NOW...
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

[3PinkRoses]

Eggcited!!  D20 hatched this morning! ...and now there are 3 for 2014..D18 D19 & D20
....which is a miracle as the weather was so harsh this year in Iowa! If you go back and look at YouTube videos, you will see mom all covered in snow, barely recognizable ...then she stands, shakes off the snow and hunkers down again...
Such details in the wonder of God's miracles...tiny eggs, incubated and even cooled off for over 20 minutes at one point, with snow on (not in) nest, so fun to watch

[makgirl]

All three are being fed RIGHT NOW...

[makgirl]

and now

All three are being fed RIGHT NOW...

and now...

[makgirl]

and nowand now...

AND NOW...ALSO DOING CAMERA CLOSEUPS-FANTASTIC!

[makgirl]

A couple of the babies are sitting out from under mom....

[Stitches]

Thunder and lightning right now.   Poor babies are getting wet.    I think I'm going to keep this on overnight.   I love to sleep to this sound.