EAGLE CAM!

Check out this eagle cam!  You can watch a pair of bald eagles in Decorah, Iowa, in real time while sitting on your living room couch!  They have three little eaglets that hatched a few days ago!  Wow; thank you Grand Traverse Audubon Club, who sent me the link.

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

It is windy out there.

Decorah Eagles

Total views: 32,505,565The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.

The live video feed is streamed online 24/7. At night an infrared light provides night vision to viewers through the cam. Infrared light is not visible to eagles, they do not see it or know it is there.

First hatch 4/2/11.
24-hour collage of first egg pip and hatch
Second hatch 4/3/11.
First glimpse of second hatchling
Third hatch 4/6/11.
Close-ups of the third hatch

Here is a little information about the eagles:

FAQs

How high is the nest?
About 80 feet.

How big is the nest?
about 6 feet across, about 4 feet deep; it weighs about 1000 lb.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.