Eagle Baby is Hatching!!!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles#utm_campaigne=synclickback&source=http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/decorah_eagle_xcel.html&medium=3064708

[alphafemale]

1. Omg! The parent on the nest just nodded off.

I've so been there!!! lol!

[RebelOne]

2. No baby chicks yet. Mommy is still asleep.

That is as of 9:45 p.m.

[emilyg]

3. .....

[chollybocker]

4. Mom sleeping, cuddling 3 eggs. (1:08 am EST)

(Warning: Turn volume down for advert!)

[Rhiannon12866]

5. OMG, this is so cool...

She just turned around so I could see her incredible face... Thanks for posting! Bookmarking. :bounce:

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. First eagle hatched this morning.

Every once in awhile Mom/Dad gives a glimpse.

[Duer 157099]

7. She's so much prettier in color!

I was watching late last night with the night vision camera, she was so figety, kept rearranging the eggs, like she just could not get comfortable, or was trying to move them around to nudge them on or something. Fascinating web cam.

[Duer 157099]

8. Ah, just got a glimpse of the little puffball

Looks hungry, when is someone gonna feed that baby? Instead mom just rearranges the eggs and lays back down on the baby, lol.

Poor lil baby bird, it's got to be confusing right now.

[backwoodsbob]

9. looks like she has a stash

she's digging for something

[Duer 157099]

10. Eagle Number Two Has Landed, I repeat, Eagle #2 has landed

Now to try to figure out which is which...

[Duer 157099]

11. "Dad! Dad, save me! Mom keeps laying down on me and mmmfhhhmmph....

Shit, dad does it too

[Duer 157099]

12. Why isn't baby bird tweeting his experience?

C'mon, this is such an obvious one

[nolabear]

13. That's some gorgeous birdage. But DAMN does it look cold!

[Duer 157099]

14. I'm only half paying attention, but it looks like dad doesn't move as much as mom

I'm worried for that little baby under there. Mom at least would rearrange herself often, maybe to make sure baby was still able to breathe and move.

Dad, who looks much bigger and heavier, is just laying there, waiting for wifey to return with food, I suppose.

Or I could be wrong.

Ooooh, he senses something going on under him. I wonder if another egg is getting ready to hatch?

[Duer 157099]

15. Holy cow, there's tons of food right there!

Dad just finally got up for a snack and dragged a dead rabbit into view.

Baby is catching some fresh air and sunlight for a few minutes.

Dad's plucking the rabbit fur.

[Duer 157099]

16. Baby smells the food and keeps watching dad tearing into the bunny

This is fascinatin. That bunny looks like roadkill.

[Duer 157099]

17. Baby just got his first taste!

But dad's big butt is blocking the camera!

[ScreamingMeemie]

18. It's irritating that he doesn't move to the side.

Doesn't he realize he has an audience?! ;)

[Duer 157099]

19. And as if on cue, he does

This is fuckin awesome

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. It's really amazing. That big gust of wind scared the heck out of me.

I think it scared the heck out of the dad too. Back on the nest.

[Ptah]

20. cute!

[Duer 157099]

21. Baby says, about rabbit:

"Tastes like chicken!"

[Duer 157099]

23. Pic of dad (I think) feeding baby (or trying to)

[Fire Walk With Me]

24. And now all the cutesters will learn in high-definition that eagles eat the insides of animals.

nom nom nom

[Duer 157099]

25. Mom's back and boy does she look pissed!

"Why haven't you cleaned up around here??? This place is a mess! I see you've dragged the dead rabbit practically into bed, don't you ever put ANYTHING away??"

[Duer 157099]

26. What dad is thinking about as he looks around with his Eagle eyes

"I swear someone is watching me. I can't see where they are, but damn, I just KNOW it!"

[Duer 157099]

27. Dad feeding baby; also, is 2nd egg getting close?

Green arrow

[backwoodsbob]

28. looks like she just made the

mess with mine and I'll kick your ass call

[Duer 157099]

29. I'm watching you

[Duer 157099]

30. Link to youtube video of first hatchling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U_pme0dPhs

[Duer 157099]

31. Mom vs Dad (photos of both, how to tell which is which)

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. They also tell you right on the page with the camera. That's how I

was able to tell yesterday. Scroll down to read the differences in markings. It also tells you how long they have been together, how high up the nest is, etc. :hi:

[Duer 157099]

33. Yep, I read that, but until I saw both side-by-side, I couldn't be sure

I can't believe they've been in that nest for over 3 years, and that they've hatched babies every year!

[ScreamingMeemie]

34. ...and they're very smart, to have someone farm the fish for them.

:) The gray around the eye, versus the line around the eye description is how I figured them out. Plus the mama is a giant. :D

[Duer 157099]

35. I was trying to figure it out by behavior

and what a testament to both of their parenting skills, that I could not.

[Duer 157099]

36. So where is the other adult at night?

Off camera? In the nest, just not on camera?

Or is he off drinking with the boys? :shrug:

And when do they sleep? Seems like night time they have to be on high alert.

[ScreamingMeemie]

37. On the chat last night, one of the moderators said the dad typically

does sentry duty; flying in circles above and below the nest. I did see them switch off once last night.

[Duer 157099]

38. Second baby is hatched

Don't know when it happened but now there are two.

[Duer 157099]

39. It's like a Vegas smorgaasbord in there

They've got the rabbit from yesterday, and now some little black bird, and a huge fish.

Baby #1 did a serious smackdown of baby #2 when mom tried feeding the new guy. Baby #1 is a bully. I thought he killed his little brother, because the second baby just went all limp and quiet after the attack, and didn't perk back up until baby #2 got his fill from mom. Then dad returned to the nest and helped for awhile and then laid on everybody to shut them up, and mom flew away for her afternoon spa session.

The 3rd eggs looks broken but I didn't see any movement

[Duer 157099]

40. Some drama in the nest

Dad was trying to tidy up and toss bits of rubbish out of the nest when lil firstborn suddenly grabs onto dad's beak (looking for food no doubt, trying to make sure baby sibling doesn't get it) and manages to grab on just as dad is flinging something out of the nest, and baby catches a ride.

Mom returns and wonders WTF? How'd you get there? But she leaves him there for a bit before finally scooping him back into the nest.

I think firstborn is going to be a handful.

Dad tossing him out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceCVWK5_a10

Mom bringing him back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsxkaztk74A

[blaze]

41. Fascinating to watch

I Dad had "flinged" just a little bit more...

So glad all is good.

[BarenakedLady]

42. Thanks for the link

A great distraction. :)

[ScreamingMeemie]

43. You are welcome. My cousin sent me the link, and I have been worthless

ever since. :)

Here is an interesting PBS show from a few years back about this pair of eagles. The dad taught the mother everything when they built their first nest and raised their first brood. It's fascinating.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/american-eagle/video-full-episode/4349/

[Duer 157099]

44. Same here; thanks you to, I've spend this whole weekend doing this

My son thinks I've lost my mind, lol.

And thanks for the PBS link! I knew about that Nature episode, but didn't realize it was available in full online! Gonna watch it tonight when the night vision camera takes over and everyone is asleep.

[ScreamingMeemie]

45. The program is incredible. You get to meet the man behind the cam.

And watching the father teach the mother with their first brood, when she is very young, brought tears to my eyes. To think how far this bird has come since the DDT findings.

[Duer 157099]

46. I just watched it and now I'm freaking out

It's really windy right now (1:30am) and she has her back to the wind and it's blowing her feathers all over the place, just like in the film when she was blown over and almost lost the kids. It's doing that right now, and I want her to turn around and put her head towards the wind, but she won't. I'm not sure she learned her lesson.

I'm going to have to just go to bed and hope nothing happens.

[ScreamingMeemie]

47. It is a very windy day up there.