Now that the young Harmon and other eaglets will soon be fledging the nest, they will have a lot to learn. They’re staying close to the nest, but no longer using the nest itself. Rather, they spend their time on the branches or trees nearby. They need to stay close to home while they work on their flying skills. Just because you have a seven-foot wingspan, doesn’t mean you can fly!
They need to gain critical flight skills and build up their muscles these first weeks out of the nest. They also need to learn how to hunt and fish for themselves. For the first three months of life, while they’re in the nest, Mom and Dad had been providing all their food. Now that they are out of the nest, they are expected to provide for themselves. Of course, Mom and Dad want them to succeed, so they will offer some tips – where to look for food and how to catch and kill they prey. And, if the youngsters come up empty, Mom and Dad are still willing to help out for a while. (Another good reason, not to go too far from home!)
In general, these youngsters are spending a lot more energy than an older, more skilled eagle flying and finding food. These hot and stormy days and nights can be hard on these already vulnerable young birds. Even adult eagles are stressed by the heat. It’s much easier for eagles – who have their own built-in down coats – to withstand cold temperatures, than steamy heat. It’s hard on anybody, and eagles are no exception.
In hot weather, eagles tend to eat less – they don’t need the calories to keep warm. But, young eagles still need those calories to build up their muscle mass for flying. They can afford to miss too many meals. Rough weather takes its toll on lots of animals. Think about spending the night perched in a tree during a hail storm? It’s rough out there. These first few weeks out of the nest can be a real challenge for young eagles, and one of the reasons that about 50% of young eagles don’t make it through their first year.
Happy Bald Eagle Day!!!
Happy Bald Eagle day everybody! Thankfully, 5 years ago today, the Bald Eagle was removed from the endangered species list. Our Eagles here want to say thank you to everyone out there who continues to protect them!
Update on 2012-06-21 15:42 by Eagle Cam Moderator
Harmon Contest
Hi everyone,
We are haveing a Harmon Merchandise contest. We are looking for your ideas and pictures on what to put on shirts and coffee mugs ect...
How exciting we are going to be do this for about a week Then going through all entries picking the best we think and then putting it our for a vote for all you folks to pick what you think is best
From there we will post the winners and get the merchandise rolling shortly there after.
Please come and share your ideas and photos http://broadband-mn.com/eaglecam
Broadband Corp
Any questions let the Mod or myself know we will be happy to help.
Good Luck everyone
One of the biggest reasons for the eagles decline was the introduction of DDT.
Thanks to those of you who shared your eagle story with us!
DDT was once hailed as “a benefactor of all humanity,” especially in the fight against malaria spread by mosquitoes. However, DDT was also causing problems in eagle reproduction. In 1953 the National Audubon Society estimated there were about 1000 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in the lower 48, but by 1963, there were less than 500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. From right outside the National Eagle Center in Wabasha Minnesota, all the way down the Mighty Mississippi River to Rock Island Illinois, between 1968 and 1972 there was only 1 nesting pair of Bald Eagles. What happened?
DDT accumulates in the fat cells of animals. It becomes concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Eagles were found to have high concentrations of it in their bodies that contributed to their population crash. Through the efforts of conservation organizations and individuals, DDT was banned in the US in the 1972. Almost immediately, eagle populations began to increase. However, DDT is still used in some parts of the world.
DDT is highly effective insecticide that kills disease-causing insects in humans, animals, and produce. It was banned in the US because links were made between DDT and declines in eagle and the other raptor populations.
DDT Didn’t Disappear
DDT doesn’t break down so it ends up in lakes and rivers. Each step in the food chain magnifies the amount of DDT in the bodies of the animals. In eagles, high concentrations of DDT affected their ability to process calcium, which is needed to make strong egg-shells and bones.
Here is how it affected eagles, raptors and other birds at the top of the food chain.
Plants and algae incorporate DDT into their tissues it is then at .000003 ppm (parts per million
)
Aquatic insects eat the plants and algae and then small fish eat the insects then the DDT is at .04 ppm
Large fish eat the small fish the DDT is then at 2ppm
When a predator—an eagle or a human catches and eats several fish, the DDT becomes even more concentrated at 25 ppm , this level was then affecting the females ability to produce calcium which then made thin or poorly formed egg shells so that when the female eagle went to incubate her eggs, she was crushing them with here own weight, thus producing no new eagles.
We must remember that those who created DDT were trying to help save lives.
DDT was banned in North America in 1972 and in 1973 the Endangered Species Act as we know it today was created and the Bald Eagle was added to it. Thankfully in 2007 the Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered Species list and that we now estimate over 10,000 nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in the lower 48, including over 2,300 nesting pairs just in the state of Minnesota. That 260 mile stretch of Mississippi River that we call the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge that only had 1 nesting pair, now has over 280 nesting pairs!
We can now celebrate! We must also be cognizant that there are still some threats out there ,and we will talk about them later. Now go back to watching Harmon, we only have a couple more weeks until he takes his first flight. Soon he will be branching; we will talk next time about what that means.
Harmon Hovers
What an exciting day. Hamon spent some time testing his hovering abilities Also self feeding Ate a whole fish(no head) Mom brought this in Harmon Mantled it and mom took it back. What a day
BroadbandCorp