Bald Eagle Migration Update: April 6,2005 Today's Report Includes: Today's Map and Data Field Notes from Peter Nye The Wind Beneath Her Wings: Challenge Question #15 Conflict in the Natal Nest? Try This: Write a Story Young Eagles’ Gender: Challenge Question #16 Thoughts on Challenge Question #13 and Y90 The Body Discussing Challenge Question #14 Bald Eagle Adaptations: Talons - Challenge Question #17 Eagle Glossary Today's Map and Data Click to see larger map What do eagles know that we don’t know? How much can we learn from their movements? Watch each carefully as their movements are plotted on our map or make your own with this week’s data.     Mature Eagles Juvenile Bald Eagles (Fledglings) Golden Eagle #A20 Bald Eagle #V98 Bald Eagle #P04 Bald Eagle #Y89 Bald Eagle #Y90 Bald Eagle #Y94 Bald Eagle #Y96         Field Notes from Peter Nye Hello Eagle Trackers: This week’s message follows an interesting weather-week just finished; with heavy rains here in New York on 3/29, followed by high winds directly from the south on Thursday (3/31), and more heavy rains and flooding this past weekend to bring in April. All of this, apparently, got our eagles moving. Juvenile eagle Y90 last summer. She isn't happy with visiting biologists!   Nest view- last summer- from nest on the Upper Delaware And, there is some great news associated with our weather news. Adult bald V98, who we have been worried about down at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, has moved! Much to my surprise, she began her move north around the end of March and by the 2nd of April was in the Adirondack region of northern New York. Given the late date, I really expected we had a dead bird on our hands, but as I mentioned in last week’s update, I had a glimmer of hope based on a small move she made down there, which now appears was accurate. Why do you suppose she left her wintering ground 3 weeks later than last year? Juvenile News The late March south winds apparently stimulated other of our birds to move also. Young eagles Y90 and Y94 moved north out of Pennsylvania this week and now are back in New York. Y90, who was fledged from Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in central NY, at last look on 3 April was just a bit west of there; it will be interesting to see if Y90 "visits" her old nest site (her parents are currently incubating this year’s crop.....how do you think they will react if Y90 shows up?) Non-conformist Y96 Like people, eagles can be very individualistic! Fledgling Y96 now seems to be the exception, remaining in eastern MD; we'll have to wait and see if she moves. Ditto for Y89, who is hanging out near another one of our nest sites in southern NY. Likewise, adult male P04 remains near the Raquette River in northern NY. Although I am now wondering if he might nest up there, based on V98's late movement, I'm not even going to suggest that yet.... See you all next week. Eagleye New York State Dept. Environmental Conservation Delmar, NY The Wind Beneath Her Wings Bald eagle V98 up and left her winter home this past week. Although this departure comes 3 weeks later than last year we can see that she is not wasting any time migrating north. On 03/31/05 we have 2 sighting locations for V98. She really flew that day! How far did she fly? Eagle V98 Sighting Data for 03/31/05 At 13:10:11 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): (40.755, -75.597) At 18:57:13 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): (41.735, -75.737) Try This! Brush up on your measuring skills AND try a new Online Distance Calculator to calculate how far Bald eagle V98 traveled on 03/31/05. Calculating Distance as the Eagle Flies Challenge Question #15: “First calculate how far V98 flew. Then use this number and the time between the sightings to answer: What was the speed of her flight?” (Explain your steps. Remember distance/time = speed.) (To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.) Conflict in the Natal Nest? Click to see what eagle spotter Scott Rando saw visiting this nest! Young eagles often return to their natal nesting area. As we watch the movement of the birds it appears that 1 or 2 of our juvenile birds might do this. Eagles have even been known to make visits to their actual nests! What do you think would happen if the juvenile eagle returned? How many different scenarios could happen? Try This! Write a story about a juvenile eagle that returns to their old nest. Include details about the eagle parents. Will your story include new eggs or baby eaglets? Will the parents recognize the juvenile? Is there jealousy? Share your stories and celebrate with special Tea! (What will you serve for an Eagle Tea?) Young Eagles’ Gender Eagleye sometimes refers to the eaglets' gender in his Field Notes, but eaglets - like adult Bald eagles - look very similar. We have learned how to determine the sex of the adult birds, but is it possible to determine the gender of eaglets? Find some resources and search for clues about this topic, then answer this challenge: Challenge Question #16: “Eagleye sometimes refers to the young eagles as ‘he’ or ‘she.’ How are scientists able to determine a young bird’s gender? “ (To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.) Thoughts on Challenge Question #13 and Y90 How would a scientist explain the behavior of Y90? Eagleye shares some thoughts about Y90 this week: “Y90, who fledged from Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in central NY, at last look on 3 April was just a bit west of there; it will be interesting to see if Y90 "visits" her old nest site.” Eagle Adaptations: The Body Discussing Challenge Question #14 "In what ways is the eagle built for survival?" Third Graders in Mrs. Watson’s class at Belmont Day School went the extra mile to learn about the eagle’s body! Here’s what they wrote: "The eagles eyes blink often to allow for steady vision and a good flight. We think they have clear eyelids that they can see through when they dive into the water. The bald eagle has acid in their stomachs. The acid protects them from getting sick when they eat animals that are already dead. The talons are shaped to be able to carry things and to slice and rip into food. The tail helps balance the eagle when it is flying. The beak is sharp and strong to rip flesh and eat frozen road kill." Great job! Peter Nye adds, "Birds, including eagles, also have hollow (yet very strong) bones to decrease total body weight and help in flight. Unlike many other birds, though, eagles are fairly heavy, bulky birds. Because of this, they need a lot of room and a lot of energy to take off, not unlike an airplane. They are not birds designed for quick flight and maneuvers. Rather, they really shine as soaring birds, using their large wings, once airborne, taking advantage of air currents and natural thermals, to float almost effortlessly at great heights and over long distances." Bald Eagle Adaptations: Talons - Challenge Question #17 Are you ready for this week's adaptation? Eagles, like other birds of prey, have very special feet, different from all other animals. We call those special feet talons. Eagle feet, of course, have claws. But so do the feet on dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, robins, and even tiny hummingbirds.  What makes eagle feet different? First, the claws must be strong and sharp. When an eagle catches a fish, those claws have to slice into a stiff, strong fish with thick scales protecting its body. But sharp claws are NOT the reason eagle feet are called talons--after all, cats have sharp claws, too, but they don't have talons. What makes talons different? Challenge Question #17: "What's the difference between claws and talons?" (To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.) Eagle Glossary Build your vocabulary with terms used in our reports as we study eagles this season. Find the following terms from this weeks report and define them in your eagle journals or portfolios: talon, fidelity, incubate, gender. Bookmark the Journey North Bald Eagle Glossary How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions: IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message. 1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-eagle@learner.org 2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #15 (or #16, or #17). 3. In the body of EACH message, answer ONE of the questions above. The Next Bald Eagle Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 13, 2005. Copyright 1997-2005 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to jn-help@learner.org