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National Emblem Alive and Well at Decorah
Story and photo by Lowell Washburn
Posted: March 9, 2010

DECORAH - Majestic, powerful, and aloof --- the American bald eagle possesses a commanding aura and conveys a sense of presence that few wild creatures can hope to match. Whether it's discovered perched or on the wing, the sighting of a fully plumed adult never fails to elicit awe struck human attention. But when an eagle pair decides to construct a nest, the human attention may be carried to extreme. Occasionally, it goes completely off the chart.

The magnificent pair of adult eagles currently nesting on Willard Holthaus' backyard property line is a classic example. Located directly across the street from the landmark Decorah State Trout Hatchery, the eagles first constructed their nest and successfully reared a single chick in 2007, recalls Holthaus. As news of the pair's nesting success spread, the easily viewable site quickly became one of the area's most popular outdoor attractions, luring visitors from far and wide.

And then came the web cam. Installed during 2009 by the Decorah based Raptor Resource Project and hosted by Luther College, the high octane web site provides nature enthusiasts with live audio and superb color video by day and infrared viewing by night. Response to the site has bordered on the unbelievable. According to Raptor Resource director, Bob Anderson, the nest camera received more than 3 million hits from 102 countries during its debut season. This easily makes the Decorah eagle nest one of, if not the most widely viewed bird nest on planet earth. Use is expected to go even higher during this year's nesting season, says Anderson. Although there is no limit to how often eagle enthusiasts can visit the Decorah web cam, demand for the site has become so high that viewers are allowed a maximum camera time of 15 minutes before becoming automatically disconnected.

"It's been amazing," says Holthaus, who although a wildlife viewer himself, admits to being surprised by the widespread interest. "The nest has two different cameras and people can see every detail of what the eagles are doing --- flying in and out, adding material to the nest, bringing in food."

Even by raptor standards, the male is a proficient hunter providing his mate with an abundant supply of fish, rabbits, squirrels, and pigeon. During one extraordinary foray, the bird was actually captured on film as it approached a pond and accomplished the astounding feat of simultaneously snagging two trout in a single swoop before returning to the nest carrying a fish in each foot. At times, the male's extreme commitment to caring for his family has leaned toward the bizarre --- like the day the huge winged predator decided to add a cat belonging to Holthaus' brother to the daily menu --- providing the pet with a one way ticket to the eagles' treetop lair.

"The eagles keep adding to the nest, and you can watch them carrying in sticks," notes Holthaus. "The nest is now around six feet in diameter, and the guy who installed the cameras actually laid down and stretched out across it. It's that big.

"They're a proud bird and the eagles have done well," he added. "They laid one egg the first year, two the second, and three eggs last year. So far, they've raised a baby from every single egg. This year, the female has already laid two eggs."

"The eagles' nest is a big deal and has become a real phenomena," says across the street neighbor and Decorah Trout Hatchery Manager, Brian Malaise. "I've even heard them referred to as the 'Rock Stars of the Fish Hatchery,' and I don't think that's an exaggeration. The birds have developed an almost cult-like following, and many people seem to have adopted the eagles as their own. It's almost like family.

"The nest is located just across the road from here and it has definitely increased the number of people visiting the trout hatchery," says Malaise. "Weekends can be incredible. Normally, I can feed all of the trout we're rearing in about 20 minutes. Now it can take up to two hours to feed the fish with a majority of that time spent answering questions about the eagles.

"I try to personally conduct most of the school tours that come through the hatchery," Malaise added. "Now, instead of just trout, I spend 15 minutes talking about the eagles. You really don't have to go back that many years to where people didn't even see bald eagles and there were no nests anywhere in Iowa. This nest is definitely providing additional educational opportunities to school groups. Seeing the trout hatchery and an active bald eagle's nest in the same trip is something they'll remember.

"The nest cameras have been an incredible addition," says Malaise. "They're capturing things that will really help increase our knowledge of these amazing birds --- things you can't see from the ground --- like the female turning her eggs every fifteen minutes. The infrared is also amazing. People see deer mice walking around the nest at night [even though the nest is approximately 60 feet above the ground], and at least one flying squirrel has been seen up there."

Visit the Decorah eagle nest for yourself at www.raptorresource.org. Updated, prerecorded video clips of nest site activity can also be viewed at youtube.com.