RRP Addresses Top 5 FAQ About the Eagles

Here is what the RRP staff reported on the Decorah Eagles facebook page:

(Copied)

1) Which nest are the eagles going to use?......We still do not know which nest the Decorah Eagles will use for the upcoming season. We are watching and waiting as egg time approaches toward the latter part of February to see what their choice will be. People on site will be watching more closely now to see if they are bringing in more soft nesting materials to the new yonder nest, or if we will see them on camera in the original nest bringing in materials. The snow and cold weather are not issues for them at all. They use their bodies and feet to move the snow out of the way to create and/or add to a nest bowl as it comes close to egg laying time. Nesting materials are not an issue for them to find either. Eagles have been building nests in the winter for years and years (thousands live in Alaska), and they have no issue finding the materials they need. If they need branches and twigs, they hop on the branches and break them off, hence no shortage of available railing materials. Soft nesting materials are not an issue for them either, they will find them. Once again, it is very common for eagles to build alternate nests within their territory, this is not unusual that the Decorah Eagles have built another nest. In our note full of information on our Facebook page, there is a blog post that explains well, why eagles like to build alternate nests.

2) When will chat open?......We have not reached any decision on this yet, it all depends on what the eagles do, meaning which nest they choose. Based on what the eagles do, if we decide to open up chat, we will do a post about it to let everyone know at that time.

3) Is there a chance they are building a nest for D1 or their other offspring, or could D1 use one of the nests?......No, unfortunately this is not the case. Mom and Dad would consider any other eagles, birds or animals intruders in either of their nests, as both nests are within what they consider to be their territory (their territories range from one to two miles). They will continue to defend both nests. If D1 were to try to approach one of the nests, we're pretty sure that Mom and Dad would not necessarily show aggression, but they would typically chase away any intruder as we have seen in the past, even their own offspring. We are unsure if they recognize their offspring, but it is not uncommon for adult eagles to socialize with juveniles at times. It is common for juveniles to return to their natal nest areas, and this is especially true as they reach maturity between four and five years old. D1 was the second hatched eaglet from 2011, hatched on April 3rd, she is not quite 2 years old yet, and she will not get her white head and tail feathers until she reaches maturity. She is currently in the "salt and pepper" stage (as Bob refers to it) of her plumage which is how juveniles look at her age. We are unaware of what areas the previous eaglets dispersed to, we are only currently tracking D1.

4) Is there any reason to be concerned about egg laying this year?......No, there is no reason for concern at all just because they have built another nest, and egg laying does not happen yet until the latter part of February. Eagles mate and raise eaglets every year once they have reached maturity (between age four and five). Eagles are monogamous, which means they are faithful to their mates forever, or until something happens to either one of them. They have stong instincts to build nests and raise their young, and they continue that cycle each year for their lifetimes. If something happens to one of the pair, they are typically quick to seek another mate and carry on with their instinctive ways of raising families.

5) Why does Raptor Resource Project continue to ask us to read the "note full of information" in the FAQ section that is always pinned to the top of their Facebook page?......The note full of information is always updated, and has answers to many questions that are frequently asked. It has links to informational RRP blog posts, links to all the cams, it has egg laying history dates, and a whole lot more reading material and information. While the date of the note itself may be a few months old, we continue to edit it and update it until we do an enitre new note when necessary. It's for our readers’ benefit that we have provided this information all in one convenient place to find, always in the same place on our Facebook page. Please everyone, read this note full of information below which is being provided as a help guide for you, and once again, we thank each and every one of you for all of your support!
https://www.facebook.com/notes/raptor-resource-project/-where-to-find-rrp-important-information-links-facebook-info-faq-fundraising-and/447458725290752See More