Nest Update March 14, 2014 - And Then There Were Three….

March 14, 2014

Good evening Fellow Surprised NestPerchers!!!

Well, well, well! It looks like Mom took it in her head to give us all a very nice surprise for our end of the first week of the season day. Early this morning (dragonlainey actually has vid of it before dawn) Mom rose to show us she laid another egg in the overnight hours! It was determined from the recorded vids on the site that she laid the egg at almost exactly 10pm last evening and saved it for a surprise this morning. Bjtignor was one of the first to spot it. The chatters in SS went wild! This is the first time since a cam has been on the nest that she has laid three eggs.

MN Bound Eagles 3-14-14 We Have Egg #3

The SS was hopping all day as perchers from far and wide came to offer congrats and salutations. Anticipation reached new heights as speculation on what the three eaglets will do was discussed endlessly on the SS. Everyone was very happy to see the third egg and can’t wait for hatch time!

Mom and Dad, of course, were unaware of all the hubbub taking place in the chat. They went about their business of incubating the now enlarged clutch with the same dedication we have always seen from them. They swapped places and yelled at the neighbors as usual. Mom even got a squirrel slap into the mix again today. No food was brought to the nest today but we don’t really expect to see that until the eggs are close to hatching. The eagles had a great day on the nest today and so did the perchers. Evening ended with a beautiful sunset and Mom settled in for a well deserved nap.

A puzzle from Bekka!

http://bit.ly/1d4bGpN

Some more pics and vids from today.

MN Bound Eagles 3-14-14 And Then There Were 3 ~ Daily Highlights

MNBound Eagles ~ Who Needs Sticks?

MNBound Eagles ~ Simply Beautiful

Darn it honey! You know I like them grouped!!

Can you guys hold it down??? The triplets are sleeping!!

All this yelling isn't helping with the neighbors!!

I got tired of all you people looking at my messy 'do!!

You're kidding?? She really did lay a third egg??

It was a marvelous Friday on the nest. We all love a good surprise and Mom gave us one of the best ones ever. We all look forward to a very fun and interesting season! A big thanks to dragonlainey and birdbrain56 for the vids from today and to Bekka for a lot of the screenshots and the puzzle. I hope your Friday was as fun and exciting as ours was! See you on the nest tomorrow and don’t forget there is our Saturday chat, too!

TalonStrike

PS: Thanks for clicking Like! MNB loves it when you do that!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below and please if you do comment put the chat name you use in the comment so we can know who you are. Thanks! Also, we'll be updating our official MN Bound LIVE Eagles Facebook Page regularly so you can follow along, like, or share with your friends. We have several site moderators this year to help give optimal information to all that want to learn more about these magnificent birds.

Nest Update March 13, 2014 - Cam, IR and Brood Patches….

March 13, 2014

Good evening Fellow Cam’sBackWatchers!!

Well, it was a bit of a wait but the cam server is in it’s new home and the cam is back better than ever. BBC has been working diligently to get us the best picture we can have. Thanks BBC! They also did some work that is getting us closer to having the IR light at night. Part of the problem with the delay in starting up the IR is the amount of sunlight that the nest gets this time of year. BBC has to make sure the batteries get enough charge every day to help them last through the night. That and some software issues are all that is standing between us and night sight at this time. Oh, and maybe a wire or 2. So please, be patient, I am sure we will have it in time for the hatches!

When the cam did come up mid afternoon Mom and Dad were doing what they were doing the last time we saw them. Moving sticks, yelling at the neighbors, trading places on the eggs and having a good time living the life of apex predators. It was nice and warm today with a clear blue sky that helped get the snowmelt under way for real. Unfortunately that means that the river may flood sooner than expected. But the good side of that is the future meals for the eaglets will have more space to swim around. Lots of ducks and geese have been heard on the cam looking for a place to land.

The question of the day on the SS was:

What is that brood patch, anyway?

We all have heard and most of us have used the term “brood patch” as we enjoy and learn from watching our favorite eagle pair during their nesting season. The brood patch is an area on the breast area of the bald eagle that develops shortly before the female lays the eggs. The hormonal changes cause the feathering in this area to fall out leaving a patch of bare skin. In the brood patch area there is greater water flow and some swelling to allow the blood flow to warm the larger area. The increased flow of blood in the area creates warmth for incubation. Both the male and the female bald eagle develop a brood patch, but typically the female’s is the larger as she assumes more of the incubation duties. The brood patch helps insure the eggs incubation temperature is maintained at 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit!

In most birds the brood patch develops in the same manner as with the bald eagle. However, geese and ducks pluck their feathering in the brood patch area and use the feathers to line the nest! In most song birds, the female is the only one of the pair that develops the brood patch. As we continue to watch thru the incubation period we will notice the incubating bird wiggle back and forth as they rest atop the eggs. This allows them to “feel” the eggs in order to position the brood patch so the warmth surrounds during incubation. We hope this increases your understanding of the brood patch and how it incubates the nest eggs!!

Many thanks to jreagle for the great info on brood patches!

On to the vids and pics of the day!

MN Bound Eagles 3 13 14 Cam's Back! Highlights

MNBound Eagles ~ What Do I Do With This Thing?

MNBound Eagles ~ Feather Inspection

So, are we getting another egg tomorrow or not, Grandpa???

Big thanks to dragonlainey and birdbrain56 for the vids today! And an extra big wing clap to BBC for getting us back online!!

Time to tuck my head under my wing and say Sweet Eagle Dreams to everyone! We’ll see you on the nest tomorrow!

TalonStrike

PS: Please click the Like Button over dere!➷ It gives MN Bound warm fuzzies when you do! Thanks!

Nest Update March 12, 2014 - Hey, Where'd Da Cam Go???

March 13, 2014

Good evening Fellow AbsentCamWatchers!!

The day started as a typical “Let’s incubate these eggs!” day with Mom and Dad trading places keeping the eggs warm. Dad, as is typical of him, was again reluctant to give up his warm spot in the nest bowl. One time Mom returned to the nest, danced around him for a bit waiting for him to get up and then looked at him like she was going to kick him! I was indeed a funny moment. Dad on the other hand had his OSD on full display. Whether it was a stick just brought in or his nemesis on the trunk he was full on into stick wrestling today. We watched until around midday when the cam went offline.

When contacted BBC said they weren’t sure why the cam server went offline but speculated that it might be a power failure at the tower site where the server lived. I say lived because today BBC went out to the solar panels and elevated one of the three sets onto a new platform to keep it above the expected flood levels forecast for this year. The pond area below the nest is a flood plain for the river next to the cottonwood and has flooded before. So to keep the panels safe they must elevate them above the possible depth of the flood waters. I was hoping for a little flooding so the pond level would rise this year. It was looking a little anemic last year and needs some new water added. The upshot of the cam being down is it gives BBC an opportunity to move the cam server to a safer location with more stable power and an indoor location instead of being in an equipment shed in a field next to a radio tower. They were hoping to get it back up this evening but it looks like it will be tomorrow now. While they are moving and reenabling the server tis to be hoped they are also looking at the IR light power and will let us know how that is coming along. Thanks BBC for all the time and trouble you guys put in to help us watch our eagle friends! YAY BBC!

Only a couple of vids due to the short day today. And a quiz and a puzzle, too!

MN Bound Eagles 3-12-14 Morning Highlights

MNBound Eagles ~ No OSD Here

MNBound Eagles ~ Defective Stick

A puzzle from Bekka!

http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/AD1645FEFC0?m=3D250F28E9.AFE44B1&z=6

And a quiz from our resident teacher, Eaglessoarfree!

http://www.braingle.com/trivia/11975/american-bald-eagle.html

Teacher Eaglessoarfree's class classwork this week! A thanks to BBC!

I forgot to mention that Delilah, the eldest eaglet at the Northeast Florida nest (where I drove the cam and modded for a bit before our season started), fledged today. Her brother Samson fledged a few days ago so this completes a very successful season at NEFL. Congrats to AEF and all involved with the nest!

NEFL Delilah fledges

Well it was a short viewing day today but the chatters made up for it somewhat by discussing a wide range of topics that, as always, came back to food. Seems chatting gives you the munchies! And you don’t even have to live in Colorado! :-) I hope you all had a great Wednesday and I’ll see you on the nest tomorrow.

TalonStrike

PS: Thanks to dragonlainey and Birdbrain56 for the vids today!

Nest Update March 11, 2014 -Eggs, Deer and A High-speed Chase

March 12, 2014

Good evening Fellow Cottonwood Connoisseurs!

Terrific Tuesday started mild and not quite as warm as Monday. A little rain fell early to dampen the nest but the snow that was predicted failed to materialize. Mom and Dad were very pleased the snow missed them and got down to incubating in earnest. They yelled at the neighbors a few times and changed places several time as the morning progressed. Dad delivered a rabbit around 10am for a good meal on the nest. Mom went first with the rabbit while Dad kept the eggs company. Mom returned after a bit and they switched roles with Dad polishing off the rabbit. A few small nestovers were left for afternoon snacks. Also in the morning Daredevil Squirrel again stuck his head over the rails and was chased off for his effort.

Through midday and into the afternoon they took turns incubating and bringing in more new furnishings. Sticks (of course) compost and grasses to line the nest were placed in the appropriate spots. The large stick on the trunk is still there and still vexing Dad with non-cooperation. Lots of small birds were nearby and added their voices to the choir practices that Mom and Dad had at times today. A Red Tailed Hawk was heard in the distance for a good portion of the afternoon. Very late in the day Dad was on the nest and let loose with some very loud calls. The camera was panning and happened to catch what looked like Mom chasing a smaller raptor from the direction of the compost facility. She was yelling at the intruder as she chased it. It seemed to me that she peeled off and landed in the tree as the intruder flew off east towards the house across the way. They both gave the intruder a good scolding as darkness fell.

Three of the local deer came to visit again today and lots of ducks and geese were heard begging the river to warm up soon. I think the geese are upset that their home in the pond is still covered with snow. They feel spring getting nearer and want to get going on their nests. BBC panned to give us some marvelous Kirby rays as the sun set. All in all it was a lovely first Tuesday of the new season.

Bekka made us a puzzle to divert our attention for a bit.

http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/C41654E3275?m=3D250F28E9.AFE44B1&z=6

Onto the pics and vids for today!

MN Bound Eagles 3-11-14 AM Highlights

MN Bound Eagles 3-11-14 PM Highlights

MNBound Eagles ~ Deer x 3

MNBound Eagles ~ Mom

MNBound Eagles ~ Kirby Rays & a Chase

MNBound Eagles - Dad brings lots of grass

And a selection of pics!

You two behave yourselves while I go get coffee!

Hawks!! Well, honey, there goes the neighborhood!

I'm sure glad you showed up! It was gettin' lonely under Mom!

Thanks to dragonlainey, Birdbrain56 and Grisabella63 for todays vids and to Bekka for the puzzle!

Hope you all had a wonderful day today as well and we’ll see you on the nest tomorrow!

TalonStrike

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below and please, if you do comment put the chat name you use in the comment so we will know who you are. Thanks! Also, we'll be updating our official MN Bound LIVE Eagles Facebook Page regularly so you can follow along, like, or share with your friends. We have several site moderators this year to help give optimal information to all that want to learn more about these magnificent birds.

Nest Update March 10, 2014 - A mEGGnificently Marvelous Monday

March 11, 2014

Good evening Fellow NestStickStackers!

Mom and Dad started the week much as any of us do, waking up, seeing if the offspring-to-be was alright, yelling for our mate to get breakfast started and wandering off to tend to our duties. Mom awoke, gave a shout for Dad and took off for the coffee shop again. Dad came in and sat the egg while she had her morning bracer. She returned and began what was to be a day of fairly quick exchanges on her part and Dad spending a lot of time on the nest. In between times they yelled at the neighbors, played kissy face a bit, brought in some more furnishings and carpet, wing slapped a couple of curious squirrels and generally went about the business of being eagles. In fact, Mom was gone so much and was so casual about the day it started to seem to some that maybe she wasn’t going to lay another egg after all.

All that changed in late afternoon as she came back to the nest for the penultimate time. She was fidgety and fussy about her seat in the nest and it seemed like she just couldn’t get comfortable. Old (timewise that is, we are all youngsters at heart) eagle watchers know when a female acts that way an egg is close. She startled us by leaving one last time for a spin around the block and a last breath of fresh air. She returned for the last time of the day and took up where she left off. After a short period she “assumed the position” and in another startlingly short time produced the egg that will be M8 if all goes as planned. She was a bit nicer to us this time in that it only took her about 5 minutes to show us the new addition.

When the egg was laid and seen of course the crowd in SS went crazy and it was running a mile a minute. Unfortunately for me my ISP took that moment to decide to deny me access so I missed out on most of the banter post egg. It was a great day for all of that and we now look forward to going on PipWatch in about 35 days. All in all a great day in the nest and I hope you were there to enjoy it with us!

On to the vids and pics of the day!

MN Bound Eagles 3-10-14 AM Highlights

MN Bound Eagles 3 10 14 PM Highlights

Mom Has A Visitor and Sends 'Em Packin

MNBound Eagles ~ Squirrel Surprise

MNBound Eagles ~ Beak Bling

MNBound Eagles ~ 2nd Egg ~ 03/10/14