Nest Update April 24, 2013 - A Big Bass And Noisy Ducks!

Travis Frank April 24, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow MuddySpringDayians!!

The snow finished melting today near the nest and hopefully thats the last we will see this spring. The neighbors at the pond and all the birds around were singing and quacking up a storm to celebrate the final arrival of spring. Mom, Dad, Peace, and Harmony had a good day on the nest despite the windy times midday. Mom went fishing again and brought home a bass to add to the pike collection on the nest. BBC did some fantastic panning and showed us H&P up close and personal. Harmony was practicing wing flaps and Peace was building up her crop muscles. Dad spent a lot of time on the nest today and needed a feather grooming late in the afternoon. Mom alerted to something flying by and puffed up like Yorkshire pudding. Nothing was spotted but some said they heard Dad calling from afar. The weather is supposed to get much warmer over the weekend so we will probably see the eagles panting to blow off heat. Since they do not sweat this is the only way for them to get rid of excess body heat. They will be fine and will probably enjoy the departure of winter! The winds died down in the afternoon and our eagle family had a lovely evening except for that duck incessantly quacking by the pond. Tomorrow should be a lovely spring day too.

Well, on to the pics and vids!

BBC and Razzle got us some close views of baby beaks, toes and talons.

MNBound Eaglets Toes & Talons Close View

And they continued the anatomical tour with an ear closeup.

MNBound Eaglets Ear Close View

Harmony has started her exercises for wing development.

MNBound Eagles Harmony Flap Tiny Wings

Mom calls Dad as she brings home the bass and they both have choir practice on the nest as something flies by close. Surprisingly Mom did not de-head the fish and we got to see that live instead.

MNBound Eagles Screaming Home with Fish

Mom alerted to another flyby and puffed up big in response. Both Dad on a branch and Mom let whatever it was know they were not welcome.

MNBound Eagles Mom's Defensive Overhead Flyby Alarm

And finally, H&P show they can fill their crops to overflowing. And that they know how to PS!

MNBound Eagle Unbelievable Full Crop In & Out

Dad gave another takeoff demo today.

Harmony front and Peace back.

Harmony with feather eye bling.

Harmony's PS from late afternoon. Bombs away!

Dad checking out his next stick acquisition from yesterday.

As the days get longer and warmer at the nest we will be able to see them later and later in the evening. I am curious to see how the cam does when the twilight lasts until 10pm. Should be interesting.

Thanks to BBC and Razzle for the great pics that let us see our eagle family so clearly!

Hope you had a great day on the nest and we will see you there tomorrow!

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

Nest Update April 23, 2013 - Has Spring Sprung At Last?

Travis Frank April 24, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow SnowMeltorians!!

Well, the storms blew through and did their worst but the nest and our eagle family came through it all with nary a scratch. Mom woke to a beautiful clear sky and a sunrise that would make you think you were in heaven. Oh wait, aren’t eagles nests heaven already? This one certainly seems like it. Dad seemed to have caught a woodpecker from the looks of the feathers Mom filled the nest with and Harmony and Peace had bird sausage for breakfish. A little later in the day Harmony tried to flap her winglets and Mom gave her and Peace a demonstration on how it was done. In the afternoon Dad was sitting with the babes while Mom was out fishing. She came back not once, not twice, but three times with northern pike and each one was bigger than the last. That’s it, I’m hiring her as my guide the next time out. Dad and the kids looked on in awe as this transpired and snacked on the fruits of Mom's labor. Lots of fish nestovers for a few days. Mick989Razzle put together a nice vid comparing H&P today with the day Peace was hatched. They have grown a lot in 5 days and will continue to grow at a tremendous rate for the next 3 months. The day ended calm and serene as the sun set in the west.

On to the vids and pics!

The family dine on woodpecker for breakfish.

MNBound Eagles Mom's Feather Breakfast

Mom shows the kids how it’s done.

MNBound Eagles Mom Gives Flapping Demonstration

Mom’s fishing expedition was a spectacular success.

MNBound Eagles The Fisher Woman

The little ones are growing fast!

MNBound Eagles Look How They've Grown in 5 Days

Our mod KarenAnn works near here. She posted several pics for us. Just beautiful!

Peace gave her underwings an airing.

Mom at dawn.

The kids behaving at breakfish.

The storms residue at the nest. The snow melted fast and the weather was beautiful today.

The weathermen (and ladies) are saying a big warmup is in the works for the weekend. I hope so, this winter has worn out its welcome! A big thanks to KarenAnn for her photos and to Razzle for the pics and vids today. They were spectacular!

Hope you had a great day on the nest and we will see you there tomorrow!

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 April 22, 2013 - Windyness and Lots More Snow!

Travis Frank April 22, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow IcyBranchers!!

I guess the Big Guy decided Minnesota didn’t need Spring this year. The wind and cold were something fierce at the nest this morning. Harmony and Peace don’t know how good they have it hiding in Mom’s brood patch from all the nastiness going on above. They did get a taste of it when Mom was almost blown off the nest today. Dad supplied a rabbit for morning snackies and the chatters were kept busy all day thinking up different names for the nestovers. Dad’s trophy duck head in the nest was the subject of much conversation, too. Harmony and Peace played Peek-A-Boo this morning from underneath Dad. He then got up and fed them and they settled back down for another nap. The eaglets are growing before our eyes and in 11 short weeks they will be as big as Mom and Dad. Amazing to think these are the fastest growing birds in the USA. Later in the day snow returned to the nest. Mom took it in stride as always and Dad tried to help but then left for Stick Depot.As evening fell it was still snowing and BBC gave us a tour of the winter wonderland in April. It is supposed to be near 60 by Sunday. I guess one day of spring will have to do!

On to the pics and vids of the day.

Dad misjudges the size of a piece for Harmony and Peace tries vegetables for the first time.

MNBound Eagles A Peek at Harmony & Peace

Mom sits tail to the wind and learns not to stand up in such conditions.

MNBound Eagles Wind Topples Mom

The late afternoon treat consisted of fishcicles Mom dug up from beneath the snow.

MNBound Eaglets Big Bites

A great look from the eighth floor penthouse.

The noisy neighbors looking for their nest in the snow.

Before.

And after.

Peace giving Harmony the stink eye.

Peace bonks Harmony.

Harmony practicing her balance.

Peek-a-Boo

And Peace tries her wings. Soon, baby, soon!

The eagles come through with flying colors on another trying weather day. The long range forecast says warming but we will have to wait and see. The eaglets are growing and striving for food so all is well on the nest. Thanks to Mick989Razzle and BBC for all the great pics again today. You guys ROCK!

Hope you had a great day on the nest and we will see you there tomorrow!

TalonStrike

Nest Update April 21, 2013 - Mombrellas and Poptents!

Travis Frank April 21, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow RainyPondripplers!!

Spring?? Are you here, Spring?? We’re waiting!!(sound of tapping talon). The day started cold and cloudy at the nest. Mom and Dad hunkered down on top of H&P to keep them warm and cozy while the weather deteriorated.

A couple of fish and a small clump of compost was all that was brought to the nest today to fill the comfortably full larder. Rain came to the nest about mid-afternoon while Dad was sitting with the kids. Mom joined him on the nest and put up her mombrella for the duration. What a sight that was to behold! Both of them like statues as the rain soaked them. When the rain let up they both stood up, looked at each other as if to say“Well, thats over” and Mom took off to preen and dry off. Dad fed the kids, who had been beakering a bit all day, and settled back down for a nap. Later Mom came back and was only with H&P a short while when she spotted something that needed her attention. The kids were left alone in the nest and were looking around like”What gives here?” until Dad showed up about a minute later. Harmony and Peace had a good if claustrophobic day. They ate and slept to their hearts content and only beakered around a little bit before each meal. Mom leaving them alone was the highlight of their day. They are growing as we watch and will have their 2nd down in about 10 days. They will then be a darker color and will go from there to sprouting regular feathers.We all wish them well on their journey to eaglehood.

On to the vids and pics of the day.

Mom came home late morning with a fish and Dad let the world know about it.

MNBound Eagles Mom's Gone Fishing

After the fish arrived Mom got up to feed the kids and do a little cleanup. The kids ended up covered in grass and Mom was blown around on the nest. She did get them fed eventually. Dad brought in some dry carpet and helped spread it around.

MNBound Eagles Stay Low & Keep Your Tail Down

Late afternoon during the rain Dad feeds Mom chunks that she passes to H&P. She then gets up and they feed them together. These two eagles are the best pair we have ever seen!

MNBound Eagles Sharing & Caring Together

Dad had the nest when the heavy rain started. Mom returned and sat down facing him to help protect H&P. They stayed that way for over an hour as they rain fell and they were soaked. When it let up they both stood and shook themselves dry. What a display! H&P had a little beakering session and Mom fed them to quiet that down.

MNBound Eagles Sitting In The Rain

Fish coming in for a landing! LOL

PopTent in full operation.

Mom takes off for parts unknown.

Hey! What about us??

As I type this Dad and Mom have been doing something on the nest in the complete darkness. They are making strange noises and Dad sounds like he is renovating the rails. At 10:15PM! Oh well, I guess we’ll see in the morning. Maybe he put the swingset together! LOL The weather made it not one of the best days on the nest but a day here is better than a day almost anywhere else as long as we can share it with our eagle friends!

Hope you had a great day on the nest and we will see you there tomorrow!

TalonStrike

Nest Update April 20, 2013 - Full Crops and Cuddle Puddles!

Travis Frank April 20, 2013

Good Evening, Fellow SunnyRiparians!!

This is the 50th edition of the Bald Eagle blog this year. Is that a Diamond Jubilee?? It feels like it as we had a great day on the nest. The riparian area (riparian -The zone either side a flowing body of water such as a creek or small river) that the nest is in was sunny and sorta warm today as the snow melted and H&P ate to their hearts content. Mom and Dad kept their crops topped up to bursting and they ate it up with gusto. Dad, the great white headed hunter, kept the larder stocked with birds and a fish. He even brought in a smallish stick for the kids to see. Mom was on the nest the majority of the day and handled most of the feedings. Late in the day one of the birds Dad caught was de-feathered in the nest and Mom was covered in down not her own. The eaglets are growing strong and continue to eat their way to eaglehood. Harmony bonked her sibling a few times early but the rest of the day was bonk free as Mom saw to their every want. The sibs took turns eating and sleeping and PSing as little eaglets should. We look forward to another great day tomorrow but it is forecast to rain. I bet a Mombrella will be seen early on. And without further adieu, on to the vids and pics of the day.

Mom showed us how gentle she can be while feeding her young. A chatter asked why she was drooling so much as she fed them. Eagles pass enzymes and antibodies to their young through their saliva the same as humans do in the mother’s breast milk. It keeps the eaglets healthy and boosts their immune system early.

MNBound Eagles Mom's Gentle Touch

The little piggies in a pile of cute! Bonking, eating, and cuteness galore!

MNBound Eagles A Little Pile of Cute

Peace decides Mom’s pealing call is a bore and goes to sleep.

MNBound Eagles Peace & Quiet

Harmony decided she was a big girl and stood up for the first time.

MNBound Eagles Harmony Stands Up 1st Time

A pic from yesterday of Peace trying out headwear.

Peace practicing a PS.

Wadda youse guys staring at??

Dad coming in for a landing

A Great Blue Heron working the pond

Harmony peeking out

Mom telling the downstairs renters to behave

It was a great day at the nest for the Diamond edition of the blog. Dad and Mom both did well today with the eaglets and H&P had a fine day eating and growing. Tomorrow should be more of the same except a little soggier.

Thanks as usual to Razzle, BBC and all of the mods and chatters that make this The Best Cam On The NET™!

Hope you had a great day on the nest and we will see you there tomorrow!

TalonStrike

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