Eagle's Eye On The Home

Our house has a new passion.  We are watching a pair of eagles nest and hatch their eggs.  My sons are enthralled.  We have watched the first egg hatch, how the eagles rolled the eggs to distribute warmth, horses wandered by in the background, and an occasional truck or car drove by in the distance.  The wind whistles and howls high up in the trees, but the birds don't leave or ditch the nest.

I am impressed.  I don't know if I could diligently sit perched up there.  I couldn't handle the sway of the branch and the first wisp of a cold wind I would be out of there.  BOTH the parents are involved in their endeavor.  I appreciate that.  All things said, I do have one bone to pick.

After the Jon and Kate Plus 8 series imploded, I wonder how the eagle's would feel if they knew that people all over the world were watching their every caw and wing stretch via hidden camera.  I know they are only birds, but we are getting an uncut and uncensored bird's eye view of their every move as parents in the 6 foot nest. 

Look at how massive eagle nests really are:

So far so good.  Perched 80 feet up in an old Iowa cottonwood tree, these family members are old pros at reality television.  People have been peering into their lives for 5 years now. 

I am cringing at the thought of when the babies learn to fly and the papa pushes the fledglings out of that nest.  I worry about the weather and if they are staying warm.  I cringe at the thought of telling my four year old what eagles really eat-  he's still under the impression they only eat worms.  Apparently, I have bonded with this raptor family and now I have a need to stew on their daily lives.

I hope and pray that this little family prospers.  My sons are already checking in on the birds this morning and yelling at me to come look at the babies.  We are finally seeing them!  I know that nature isn't always kind and I am anticipating a few hard lessons in my sons' futures. 

I do feel a little comfort knowing that I won't have to see Ed Hardy t-shirts and a certain haircut splashed constantly across my television with our new "reality" stars.  I am all aboard this eagle train... 

Check out the Eagle Cam in Decorah, Iowa...
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles