2012 Bald Eagle Thread

Post by **Brad** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:11 am

The Eagles are back:
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Two eggs this year.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:24 am

Saw 2 Bald Eagles at Lake Manawa Yesterday. Â 1 Adult and 1 Juvenile. Â The Adult was up in a tree and the Juvenile was out on the Ice.

omaproud · Post by **omaproud** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:09 pm

There were two adults soaring in circles above my northwest Omaha home last week. Â They were fairly low in the sky, too, so got a good look. Â I yelled to my neighbors to take a look, but by then they had drifted out of my sight.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 3:29 pm

I've seen more bald eagles just south of Omaha this month than I've probably seen my entire life. Actually saw a group of 4 standing on an ice-covered pond a couple days ago.

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 1:31 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 2:26 pm

Decorah Eagles wrote:October 26, 2012: The Decorah Eagles Have Surprised Us With A New Nest

In addition to working on their current nest, the Decorah Eagles have begun building an alternate nest. Multiple nest building is fairly common among Bald eagles and we don't yet know which nest they will choose for 2013. We absolutely cannot install cameras at the new nest tree this year, so we may not see the Decorah Eagles for the rest of the 2012-2013 season. We'll miss watching them online, but it is exciting to see them building their new nest. Once again, Mom and Dad are giving us fresh insights into the lives of bald eagles! Stay tuned for updates and information as the season progresses. If the eagles choose the new nest, we will post images and possibly video to facebook and our blog.

http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2012 ... ed-us.html

Post by **Coyote** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 2:32 pm

http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/Cam ... index.html

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 2:56 pm

Coyote wrote:http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/Cam ... index.html

Saw that misleading headline so I went and found a link to the raptor resource instead...

The Decorah Eagles Have Surprised Us With A New Nest!

VS

Camera Shy Eagles Build New Nest Away From Cam

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:39 pm

Eagles over Omaha

Post by **Brad** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:00 pm

Interesting. Â My Dad saw a couple on the Platte River last week near Highway 75.

Squaw Creek Eagle Days is less than a month away. Â They get up to 300 Eagles at the peak and that's only an hour south of here. Â The Eagles follow the Snow Geese and the Snow Geese are already arriving.

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:16 pm

Brad wrote:The Eagles follow the Snow Geese and the Snow Geese are already arriving.

Squaw Creek reports on Snow Geese:
10/16/12 - 0
10/22/12 - 20
10/29/12 - 626
11/06/12 - 2,160

9 Eagles, 4 immature, 5 Adults

Post by **Brad** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:24 pm

Coyote wrote:
Brad wrote:The Eagles follow the Snow Geese and the Snow Geese are already arriving.
Squaw Creek reports on Snow Geese:
10/16/12 - 0
10/22/12 - 20
10/29/12 - 626
11/06/12 - 2,160

9 Eagles, 4 immature, 5 Adults

Just wait a month!

Here is a Mike Hollingshead Photo from last year... 1.3 Million Snow Geese!
http://www.extremeinstability.com/2011snowgeese.htm

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:44 pm

Yesterday's DeSoto Bends count:

Bald Eagle (adult) - 3, Bald Eagle (juvenile) - 11

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:46 pm

Squaw Creek 11/13:

Snow Geese - 135,010
Eagles - 74, Â 63 immature. 11 adults

Post by **Brad** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:53 pm

Wow, 9 to 74 in one week!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 4:12 pm

11/19 Squaw Creek Counts

217,540 Snow Geese
72 Bald Eagles (61J, 11A)
20 Sandhill Cranes

Still 2 weeks before Eagle Days at Squaw Creek

17 Eagles at DeSoto Bend (12J, 5A)

Post by **Brad** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:06 pm

New Numbers for DeSoto Bend

Bald Eagle (adult) 5
Bald Eagle (juv) 21

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:00 am

Squaw Creek:

11/19: Snow Geese: 217,540. Bald Eagles: 72
12/05: Snow Geese: 83. Â Â Â Â Â Bald Eagles: 65

Post by **Brad** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:26 am

Coyote wrote:Squaw Creek:

11/19: Snow Geese: 217,540. Bald Eagles: 72
12/05: Snow Geese: 83. Bald Eagles: 65

That's crazy. Â It must be the warm weather. Â There should be way more by now.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:00 pm

Brad wrote:
Coyote wrote:Squaw Creek:

11/19: Snow Geese: 217,540. Bald Eagles: 72
12/05: Snow Geese: 83. Bald Eagles: 65
That's crazy. It must be the warm weather. There should be way more by now.

I think they're more spread out this year than previous years. Â There have been several dozen down at Lake Manawa the last few weeks, where they usually don't show up until the lake at least partially freezes over.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:45 pm

icejammer wrote:There have been several dozen down at Lake Manawa the last few weeks, where they usually don't show up until the lake at least partially freezes over.

Cool, I need to head over there!

141 Down at Squaw Creek today!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:12 am

I went over to Manawa last night. Â Saw 3 or 4 Adult Bald Eagles and another 8-10 Juvenile Bald Eagles.

I was there right at sunset and they all seemed to be looking for dinner.

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:35 pm

DeSoto:

The fall migration continues at DeSoto despite the cold temperatures last weekend. The refuge still holds good numbers of mallards and Canada geese plus several other species. Excellent viewing opportunities are available from the DeSoto Visitor Center, Bob Starr Wildlife Overlook and along the roads and trails.

DATES (2012) 12/12
Waterfowl
Canada Geese 6750
Snow Geese 1
White-front 425
Total Geese 7176

Ducks
Mallard 19618
Green-winged Teal 659
Wood Duck 2
Total Dabblers 20279

L. Scaup 1
Common Goldeneye 5
Common Merganser 257
Total Divers 263

Total Ducks 20542

Marsh and Waterbirds
D.C. Cormorant 4
Great Blue Heron 1
White Pelican 34

Shorebirds, Gulls
Killdeer 2
Franklin's Gull 68

Game Birds
Wild Turkey 85

Birds of Prey
Bald Eagle (adult) 22
Bald Eagle (juv) 21
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Northern Harrier 1

Post by **Brad** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:01 pm

These are from Lake Manawa on Tuesday Night.

1.

2.

3.

4. Â I think this is a Golden Eagle? Â I thought it was a Juvenile Bald Eagle at first, but after looking at others, it might be a golden. Â I am not a bird expert, so who knows...

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:12 pm

omadweller · Post by **omadweller** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 12:27 am

Saw a lone bald eagle perched on a tree on the shore of a pond along I-29 south of the area this morning.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:05 am

Bald eagles may be back in force

http://www.omaha.com/article/20121218/N ... k-in-force

David Hendee WORLD-HERALD BUREAU wrote:A record 103 active bald eagle nests were recorded in Nebraska this year, surpassing the previous record of 90 set in 2011.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:40 am

Holy |expletive|!!!!

Eagle picks up kid!
[youtube][/youtube]

That second comment is great!

"were you dropped on your head as a baby?!"
"yeah by a |expletive| eagle"
-instantly your argument is invalid

.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:54 am

The Video may be fake:

The National Eagle Center wrote:We feel it necessary to respond to the new viral online video, "Golden Eagle Snatches Kid" which allegedly depicts a golden eagle grabbing a toddler in a park in Montreal. We find this video dangerously misleading.

First, the bird involved is NOT a golden eagle. While golden eagles can be found near Montreal, they are rarely if ever seen in and around the parks within the city. The bird in the video is a large bird of prey, but not one found in North America as far as any identification is possible.

The call heard on the video is a giveaway that the video has been altered. A golden eagle would not call or scream while approaching prey, as this would alert the prey to their presence. In any case, the call does not belong to a golden eagle. As in many Hollywood productions, the distinctive call of the red-tail hawk has been inserted.

Finally, although golden eagles are able to kill prey many times their own size, they cannot fly off with anything larger than 5 or 6 pounds (maximally about 1/3 of their own weight). The toddler in question would certainly outweigh any eagle, from any continent. No eagle could carry off a toddler, for any distance. Perhaps the footage was faked with an empty jacket to show the bird lifting it so handily. In any event, this toddler was not snatched by a golden eagle.

Eagles have had a bad reputation since Thomas Edison first depicted an eagle carrying off a baby in his first motion picture. Early in American history, golden eagles were hunted by humans because of their alleged predation on humans and livestock. Many eagles were killed as a result of these false accusations against them. If this video encourages the belief that eagles are a danger to humans, then it is indeed dangerous for all eagles.

The interaction between humans and eagles is remarkable. We use the eagle as a symbol of strength, freedom and power. Eagles represent all of these things. They are indeed powerful, but we must also remember, they are vulnerable. Having no natural predator does not mean they live without danger.

The reality is that humans are a far greater danger to eagles than they could ever be to us. Thousands of eagles die as a result of human related causes every year. Lead poisoning debilitates and kills thousands of eagles each year. The lead eagles encounter in the environment is typically found in gut piles and deer carcasses left during the hunting season. Many eagles are injured or killed in collision with power lines and cars. Others suffer electrocution on power poles.

Please take this video and any rumors or accusations against eagles with a grain of salt. If you'd like to learn more about eagles, their biology and ecology, there are a wide variety of reputable resources available. We encourage you to visit the National Eagle Center and meet golden and bald eagles up close and learn more about them.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:00 pm

The National Eagle Center wrote:Finally, although golden eagles are able to kill prey many times their own size, they cannot fly off with anything larger than 5 or 6 pounds (maximally about 1/3 of their own weight).

It's a simple question of weight ratios.