tbutler Report post Posted April 8, 2011 If you haven't already picked up this information elsewhere, there is an ongoing reality show on the web. A nesting pair of bald eagles is raising three hatchlings (hatching on April 1, 3 and 6) and it is all on the web. Check out the Eagle Cam to see this spectacular event. I've found if you click on the play button on the lower left you get the advertisement free version of the eagle cam. If you click the play button on the picture you end up on You Tube and you get plastered with advertisements over the eagle cam view. There are so many people watching this that you may find times when the server can't handle the web traffic but keep trying and you'll get some great looks at eagles. The best time of day to view is in the morning when they are most active but you know kids, they are active all the time. This morning it is or has been raining in Decorah, Iowa and the eagle cam has big water drops on the lens but that will change. Even through the water drops I was able to watch the young eagles being fed. Both parents were there for a while. Then mom settled down, herding the chicks together and sitting on them. Decorah, Iowa is in northeastern Iowa. I've visited there several times and it is a pleasant town to visit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted April 8, 2011 Wow, Tom, thanks for posting that link. Bald eagles are such majestic birds. We lived in Juneau Alaska many decades ago and even with the dozens around, never got over the excitement of seeing them. The State Museum in Juneau has an eagle nest as an exhibit. I have seen smaller tree houses! Dianne and I are in the sailboat, returning from the Bahamas to Texas. Two days ago, in a cypress swamp area on the ICW inland from Apalachicola, FL we saw a bald eagle returning home with a ?bass?. I am sure he made the fishermen jealous. Brett Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted April 11, 2011 Welcome back to the States Brett! If you want to see eagles in the wild the absolute best place to view them is along the Mississippi River in the dead of winter. In Northern Missouri and Central Illinois along the Mississippi River there are the navigation locks and dams that allow barges to travel north from the Gulf of Mexico to Minneapolis. When the river freezes over in the winter the only open water is a small area below each of the dams. Eagles gather there in unbelievable numbers. At Clarksville, Missouri, one of the best spots for eagle watching, I have counted close to 300 white heads in a single count. It is not uncommon to see several dozen eagles sitting out on ice flows eating fish or just resting. The Corps of Engineers has viewing platforms for watching the barges progress through the locks and they are perfect for viewing the eagles. They are great fun to watch. I've seen eagles pull a fish, stunned from the trip through the dam, lift it into the air and simply be unable to hold a fish that size long enough to get it onto the ice. They drop them and go back for another. The only down side to this is that the very best times are the coldest. I'm talking -10 degrees or better. We would stand out on the platform watching until we just couldn't stand it and then go back to the car, thaw out and go back for more. If you are ever in that area in the winter (not my plan anymore), don't miss this show. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toddhendon Report post Posted April 15, 2011 I agree with you Tom. This live stream is totally addicting. I find myself watching it all the time. I found another pretty neat site that has the live stream, old videos of the nest (with things like the original hatching of the eggs, feeding time and more) and you can even sign up to get updates of all of the action. You can find it at Decorah Eagle Cam. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted April 17, 2011 Todd, I should have mentioned the other clips that show some of the more interesting moments. Thanks for adding that note. I'm getting a real kick out of seeing what is lying around the nest. Several days ago there was 2/3 of a fish. Yesterday in the morning the nest was covered in snow. There was even some snow on the adult. It's cool there this morning and the adult is all fluffed up. Great to be able to watch this! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
