Nest Update March 17, 2013 - Hatchwatch Day 8

March 17, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow HatchWatchers!

Well, I didn’t get to see the PAN-STARRS comet last night as there was too much haze here for good viewing. I guess I will try again this evening.

Also, I would like to give a big Happy Birthday shout to Firetruck1988 on his St. Paddy’s day birthday! Speaking of St Paddy’s day, some of the mods took to the Wearin’ of the Green for the day. Since Pinkabbie is Scottish we gave her a pink avatar!

The day at the nest started out beautiful again this morning. Dad came home and took Mom’s seat for a while as she went to get some excercise. When she came back she had to coax Dad from the egg bowl. The bowl must be getting very comfy!!

MNBound Eagles Mom Coaxes Dad Off Eggs

As the day went on Dad came back to sit on the eggs and one of the neighbor squirrels showed up to take a peek. Dad saw it and again let 'em know who’s boss of the cottonwood. The vid was jerky and Dad was too fast so Mick989Razzle posted a pic for us.

Squirrel flap

Mom and Dad brought a lot of nest stuffing in today. Maybe fortifying for the storm that was moving in all day?? And lo and behold Dad finally found a place on the nest for that pesky stick that has plagued us for at least 3 days. Yay Dad!

MNBound Eagles Grassy Delivery & Stick Worrying

As the day went on the wind picked up and the weather got grimmer. Tonight is supposed to be windy and snowy near the nest with blizzard warnings posted all around. Eagles are outdoor creatures and are built for all kinds of weather. Our eagles are born and bred in the Upper Midwest so they are used to changes in the environment. They have 7000 feathers and lots of down to keep them warm in any storm. Mom and Dad have lived through this before and will come through with flying colors this time, too! For a look at how they deal with changing temperatures go here: Eagle Thermoregulation

Mick989razzle posted a separate cut of Dad getting the stick moved into position.

MNBound Eagles Problem Stick is Finally Free

Mich also posted a nice vid of Kirby Rays on the nest for us to peruse.Thanks Mich!!

MNBound Eagles Kirby Rays

Well, with the storm coming in with snow and wind it will be an interesting day on the nest tomorrow. I am working late hours this week so the blog may not be up until late in the evening but rest assured it will be up. Thank you, Chatters and Mods, for making this blog a success.

Happy Eagle viewing and we’ll see you on the nest!

TalonStrike

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them below or in the chat room. 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 16, 2013 - Hatchwatch Day 7

March 16, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow HatchWatchers!

Another quiet day on the nest today!

We did have a nice,quiet day on the MN Bound nest today!

But before we get to that I would like to announce that we have 2 new additions to the Eagle world!

The NCTC nest at Shepardstown, W.Va. had their first hatch of the year. I saw the little fella on video but was unable to get a good capture of him.

The other addition to the nest population was at the Alcoa Eagle Cam in Davenport, IA. Liberty(mom) and Justice(dad) welcomed their first of the season also. I did get a couple of shots from there.

Thanks to Eagle411 for the second pic!

Welcome to these 2 newest nestizens!

On our nest today it dawned to a wonderful Neo-Spring day in Central Minnesota. It was a little colder than the last few days and seemed like the calm before the storm that is coming tomorrow. Mom and Dad exchanged places several times and had a relaxing morning.

Dad did give us another eagle singing lesson this morning, maybe he was loosening up for St. Patricks Day??

MNBound Eagles Dad's Handsome Vocal Close Up

Dad did have a small OSD attack and mom showed us her wings a little later.

MNBound Eagles Dad Drops In & Mom Displays Wings

Unusually Mom and Dad left the eggs all alone for short periods today. Chatters immediately became concerned but the eggs were well behaved and didn’t cause any trouble while their parents were away!

Toward the sunset a couple of our wonderful mods got some great pics of the Kirby rays from the new cam.

Squirrelmama’s Rays

Mich989Razzles Rays

Thanks to all who contributed pics to the blog today and thanks especially to BroadBand Corp for the Cam.

So, all in all another marvelous Eagle day at the MN Bound nest!

And if you will excuse me I am going to go look for the PAN-STARRS comet! Cant watch eagles ALL the time! LOL

Happy Eagle viewing and we’ll see you on the nest!

TalonStrike

Nest Update March 15, 2013 - Hatchwatch Day 6

March 15, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow HatchWatchers!

A quiet day on the nest today!

That gives me a chance to talk about something that is very important to all of us here at the MN Bound nest. We all want to protect this nest. A lot of the chatters and all of the mods know where this nest is. The events of last year let a lot of people have a look close up at where this nest is. It has been decided this year not to discuss where this nest is on the cam site to help keep people away. There have been incidents at other nests where people have tried to molest the nests and cams. This nest is on private property and we also do not want trespassers on the land it sits on. So, any reference that localizes where the nest location is, other than Central Minnesota, in the Social Stream or chat when it is open will be deleted. If the chatter persists they will be BANNED. No exceptions. We want this cam to be enjoyed by all and not spoiled by a few. Thank you all for keeping this cam as enjoyable as it has been. We look forward to many more years of superb eagle watching.

On to the nest antics of the day.

There were not many LOL. The morning started cold and rainy with Mom getting her feathers wet and looking like she needed a spa appointment. Dad continued his stick OSD and brought a few more in. He also spent a good deal of time rearranging the ones he already brought in. Later in the day both he and Mom were bringing in nest stuffing to help fill the nest bowl in preparation for the eaglets to come.

We had several classes join us today and we were very happy to have them. The kids in the classes ask such interesting questions. It is our privilege to help further nature education with this nest anytime we are able. If you are a teacher and want to have a reserved time for your class please contact any moderator on their comment page at Ustream and we will work with you to get your class scheduled. To find a comment page at Ustream just click on the name in SS of who you want to comment to and on the next page click the Comment button at the top and leave your request and contact details there in the box at the top of the page. We will contact you from there.

Breaking News: Teachers! We have now set up an email address where you can contact us to schedule a time for your class to chat with us. Just email us here: eaglecam@broadband-mn.com and we will contact you.

Our video and pics from the day.

MNBound Eagles Mom Puzzles Over Dad's Stick

And another great pic from Mich989Razzle!

Close-up of eye with and without the Nictitating Membrane

And another late in the day pic of Mom and the eggs.

Night, Mom and Eggys!

Well, that’s it for today from the MN Bound nest!

Happy Eagle viewing and we’ll see you on the nest!

TalonStrike

Nest Update March 14, 2013 - Hatchwatch Day 5

March 14, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow HatchWatchers!

I have been remiss in not profusely thanking all the mods that help make the Eagle Cam the best place to be on the Net! They are all volunteers and give generously of their time and treasure to be here and impart their knowledge and experience to the chatters and their fellow mods. Without them the Social Stream and the Chat room could not exist at the Eagle Cam. Please join me in thanking them.

They are, in no particular order, because they are all equally great:

mibirder squirrelmama1 Pinkabbie Firetruck1988 graycsam Bekka1017

jreagle RiverRoadRaptor Reenieslad gazgeorgia MNKarenAnn

and a few more that are in stealth mode.

These folks deserve my undying thanks as without them this blog would not be possible. Mich989razzle has my heart and soul for the wonderful videos she makes of the nest shenanigans every day. Thanks, Mich!

Well, on to the day on the nest!

Mom and Dad woke to another marvelous morning in Minnesota. I was expecting to see some snow on the nest as the radar last night showed snow in the area. There was a small amount of snow but not like was predicted. Dad decided (he is The Decider when it comes to sticks) the stick on the tree needed to be moved early today.

MNBound Eagles Dad Fixes Stuck Stick

And a while later he decided it needed fixing again. Didn’t work this time.

MNBound Eagles Dad Un-Fixes the Fixed Stick

In the afternoon we were treated to singing lessons by Mom and Dad.

MNBound Eagles Peal Calls

Late in the day BBC and the eagles gave a show of stick moving, close-ups and sunset shots.

MNBound Eagles A Good Evening Eagle Watching

After the closeups there was a lot of talk about the eagles eyes. Nictitating membranes were a keen subject. Here’s a link that explains what they are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nictitating_membrane

And a pic from River Road Raptor that shows it in motion.

This is getting long so I will close by saying Mom and Dad Eagle had another nice day and we look forward to many more as they incubate their eggs and raise their young.

Happy Eagle viewing and we’ll see you on the nest!

TalonStrike

Nest Update March 13, 2013 - Hatchwatch Day 4

March 13, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow HatchWatchers!

The day started clear and cold at the nest today. Mom was seen early morning with frost on her feathers. Dad had a pretty good day controlling his Obsessive Stick Disorder. He only played around with ones already in the nest. Mom was very happy about that. Our 2 eggs looked wonderful sitting side by side in the nest. Mom and Dad changed places several times today to keep them nice and warm. Dad had to warn the squirrels again today that he was there and waiting for them! All in all a great day on the nest!

Early in the afternoon we came up with a couple of new words to use in SS. The first was schmutz for the stuff that clings to the eggs from the nest grime. The 2nd was a new portmanteau from all the things that we eagle watchers have been called. Eaglefanamaniaholics. I really don’t care what I am called as long as it is not late for lunch and I get to watch the eagles!

Mich989Razzle made us some more great videos today!

And made some great stills!

First a pic comparing Mom and Dad on the nest.