Decorah Eagles & a Stormy Night ....

I've been tracking the weather today as the storms were, and still are, rolling around the country.  I was just reading an AP story online where a town in western Iowa was severely damaged by a possible tornado that touched down earlier this evening.    

I've been hovering over the computer screen watching the Decorah (Iowa) Eagle family tonight as the lightening flashes & the thunder rolls & the rain plunders down.  

The babies feathers are in transition, going from their natal down to their thermal down.  Between 2 & 3 weeks the Eaglets can thermoregulate, meaning their parents won't need to take the extra special precautions in keeping them warm.   Right now, the eldest, D12 is 18 days, D13 is 17 days & the baby D14 is 14 days old.  So, I figure they are in transition between their down feathers.

This last week we had some sad news where Eaglets in Colorado died from exposure when their parents couldn't keep them dry during a violent thunderstorm.  This is always horrible news to hear.  So, after knowing what happened the other night in Colorado, I'm sitting here all worried, & I know my fellow cam watchers are just as bad as me.  We all care for our little Eees & their parents.  

Right now Dad is hovering over his babies, while his beak is digging deeper into the nest for to give them added protection.  Mom's not too far away, & frankly I'm surprised it's dad on the nest & not her.  Mom usually has the night shift.  Anyway, she's not far & is probably sitting on a nearby branch in their cottonwood tree.  I just wish she'd come onto the nest & help dad keep the young one's safe & dry.  Right now, Mom & Dad are talking,

I was figuring the other day that they ranged about 8 inches tall, but their Raptor Resource site thinks they are now about a foot from beak to tail & they should weigh about 3-4 pounds.   Considering their size times 3 of them, that's a lot of protecting Dad has to do tonight.

This pic was taken the other day & they've grown by leaps & bounds since then! 

Oh my goodness.  They have an intruder!  Both of them are in the nest now.  They are carrying on something fierce & loudly.  Wings spread out & flapping.  Can you imagine what that might look like?  7.5 feet of wing-span!   Holy cow!  I wouldn't mess with them.  With those huge & very strong talons?  I wouldn't hang around.  At night, they tend to have problems with either a hungry owl or a nosy raccoon.  I tell you what, if I were a baby bird, I'd want these two to be my parents.  

I get a kick out of dad.  He doesn't like to be annoyed.  Flies annoy him & so do noisy black birds.  He got so ticked off with a black bird a couple of weeks ago, he momentarily left the nest & brought that bird back home for a visit.  It was dinner.

Well, the rain has stopped, at least for now, but it is still very windy, & you can see flashes of lightening off in the distance.  Time to turn the volume down & say good night.

Good night my little Eees.

Wait a minute, I've been watching this family for 3 years, & this is the first time I've ever seen the nest sway back & forth.  They are minor sways, considering. Either it's the nest,  or it's the camera.  (When I say nest, I mean tree branch). This nest weighs nearly a ton, wedged 80 feet up in a sturdy cottonwood tree.  

Good night, Eagles.   

Update:  Another BIG storm is rolling through.  The thunder is crashing immediately after lightening strikes. Dad even flinched after a couple of thunder crashes.  Ice pellets are now hitting dad as he protects his children.  I'll be sitting up watching my little family struggle, and wish the storm & heavy winds to go away.