{"id":2114,"date":"2011-03-16T07:35:58","date_gmt":"2011-03-16T13:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=2114"},"modified":"2025-09-17T05:19:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T10:19:28","slug":"iowa-bald-eagle-nest-cam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/03\/16\/iowa-bald-eagle-nest-cam\/","title":{"rendered":"Iowa Bald Eagle Nest Cam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Bald Eagle in flight over a Utah marsh –\u00a0 Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus<\/em>) are powerful raptors, the white eyes of the adults look fierce, they have impressive wingspans and each stroke of the wings is strong. I’ve seen them have fights over prey where I was sure one of the birds might be injured or die from being ripped up by the dagger sharp talons or wounded by the hook-like beak. I have always been impressed by their large size and their exciting aerial maneuvers.<\/p>\n

Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a link to an Bald Eagle nest cam in Decorah, Iowa near a fish hatchery that I have been having fun watching\u00a0 so I thought I’d share it.<\/p>\n

I think it is wonderful that today’s video camera technology allows us to view the nests without disturbing the adults or the chicks while allowing us to observe the behavior on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

While watching the Decorah eagle cam yesterday I could see three eggs in the nest. To me it is amazing how gentle the adults are when settling down on the eggs to incubate and how gingerly they adjust the fragile eggs. I’m looking forward to seeing the young eaglets hatch and grow.<\/p>\n

I did a web search on\u00a0when the eggs were laid\u00a0 and the first one was laid on February 23rd,usually eagle eggs take about 35 days to hatch so the first egg should hatch around the 1st of April.<\/p>\n

While watching the cam I was able to see both adults taking turns incubating, gentle rearranging the nesting material and keeping an eye out for intruders. Late in the evening the cam goes to black & white (after that I could hear a horrible hum) for a period of time and the video stops recording after that.<\/p>\n

This morning it started as black & white (with that hum) for awhile. Even before daylight the adult on the nest began to call.<\/p>\n

I’ve been able to hear other birds with my volume on, this morning I was sure I heard an American Bittern and there always seems to be the sound of smaller birds too.<\/p>\n

I’m sure I am going to find this fascinating to watch and the camera is close enough to the nest that I should be able to watch the adults feeding the chicks. Enjoy! (Sorry about the brief commercial before this starts)<\/p>\n

The wind is blowing hard here and the light is going to be horrible because of the incoming storm, so I think I’ll watch the live feed today to get my bird watching fix \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Decorah Eagle cam will go off the air when the birds are no longer being seen around the nest.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.raptorresource.org\/birdcams\/decorah-eagles\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0More of my posts on Bald Eagles<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a link to an Eagle nest cam in Decorah, Iowa that I have been having fun watching so I thought I’d share it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":156393,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,27,697,26],"tags":[846,4021,469,3903,471,3133,472,4052,4152,470,4075,473,4018],"class_list":["post-2114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bald-eagle","category-avian","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-bald-eagle","tag-bird-photography","tag-decorah","tag-eagle","tag-eagle-nest-cam","tag-eagles","tag-eggs","tag-flight","tag-haliaeetus-leucocephalus","tag-iowa","tag-nest","tag-nesting-behavior-2","tag-sky"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-utah-mia-mcpherson-4640.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-y6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9757,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/10\/08\/the-eagle-is-landing\/","url_meta":{"origin":2114,"position":0},"title":"The Eagle Is Landing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been quite some time since I posted a Bald Eagle here so today I present this adult in a landing pose that I photographed in February of 2011 at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.","rel":"","context":"In "Bald Eagles"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Landing adult Bald Eagle, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bald-eagle-adult-landing-mia-mcpherson-2674.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bald-eagle-adult-landing-mia-mcpherson-2674.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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morning light, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-mia-mcpherson-4990.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43090,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/13\/bald-eagles-are-coming-back-to-overwinter\/","url_meta":{"origin":2114,"position":2},"title":"Bald Eagles Are Coming Back To Overwinter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Twice in the past two weeks I have seen Bald Eagles, one four year old bird in flight over the marshes at Farmington Bay WMA and one juvenile perched in a tree up in Box Elder County.","rel":"","context":"In "Bald Eagles"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Bald Eagle in flight on a cloudless sky, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-flight-mia-mcpherson-5313.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-flight-mia-mcpherson-5313.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-flight-mia-mcpherson-5313.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bald-eagle-adult-flight-mia-mcpherson-5313.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3878,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/12\/19\/the-bald-eagles-are-returning-to-the-valley\/","url_meta":{"origin":2114,"position":3},"title":"The Bald Eagles are Returning to the Valley","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 19, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"During the summer months I don't often see Bald Eagles unless I go up into the high country or travel north of Utah to Idaho, Wyoming or Montana but in the Salt Lake Valley many Bald Eagles come in to spend the winter.","rel":"","context":"In "Bald Eagles"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Four year old Bald Eagle up close, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bald-eagle-portrait-mia-mcpherson-3428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bald-eagle-portrait-mia-mcpherson-3428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bald-eagle-portrait-mia-mcpherson-3428.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/bald-eagle-portrait-mia-mcpherson-3428.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1753,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/01\/06\/bald-eagle-second-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":2114,"position":4},"title":"Bald Eagle – Second Year","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a second year Bald Eagle, and while the adult birds are probably the most photographed, I enjoy photographing all ages & phases of plumage of bald eagles.","rel":"","context":"In "Bald Eagles"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Second year Bald Eagle at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bald-eagle-2nd-year-mia-mcpherson-utah-1235.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bald-eagle-2nd-year-mia-mcpherson-utah-1235.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bald-eagle-2nd-year-mia-mcpherson-utah-1235.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bald-eagle-2nd-year-mia-mcpherson-utah-1235.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":149263,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/06\/24\/immature-bald-eagle-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":2114,"position":5},"title":"Immature Bald Eagle at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I was very happy to spot this immature Bald Eagle resting on a snag with a cottonwood tree in the background at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Bald Eagles"","block_context":{"text":"Bald Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Regal immature Bald Eagle at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bald-eagle-immature-cottonwood-mia-mcpherson-0473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bald-eagle-immature-cottonwood-mia-mcpherson-0473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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