Monday, March 5, 2018

Eagle Report for 3/5/18

Spring is Coming!



It's been a longtime since I posted on the blog and for that I apologize.  The new Bald Eagle Nest Watch program here in Wisconsin has kept me busy and the rental house's backyard has been extremely quiet for birds.  I have never had to throw out bird seed because it has sat so long but that is what I had to do with the lack of activity around the feeders.

As the calendar turned to March,  it started to feel a lot more like spring.  Some of the Bald Eagle pairs have officially started the breeding season and they are busy incubating eggs.  The above male is a member of one of those pairs.  He sat for me for a little while then flew over to the marshy area to grab some nest material and to take it back to the nest.  The nest can get pretty stinky with all kinds of half eaten prey and the eagles add their version of "potpourri" to help with that problem.

This is presumedly a younger pair since they didn't actually lay eggs last season.  If all goes well for the young couple, they should have baby eaglet(s) to take care of by the end of March.  Younger and less experienced eagles are a little what I call goofy.  They don't quite have the routine down and forget to incubate eggs, protect young eaglets from predators, start the season too soon or too late...etc.  This pair seems to be on the right track so far...



A few miles to the South, a more experienced pair are also busy incubating egg(s).  This was a beautiful sunrise from their territory.  This pair have been very productive for at least 5 years.  They have fledged close to 10 eaglets in those years.


 If you look real closely, there is a white head just visible in the nest.  This pair has been known to be a little sensitive to humans on foot so I have to keep my distance to not disturb them.  It will be interesting to compare the two nests as we progress through season.  They started incubating eggs both around the middle of February.  Hopefully with some luck, both pairs will be productive and fledge the next generation of eagles into the world.