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Journey North News will be posted on Tuesdays: Feb. 5, 19, Mar. 5, 19, Apr. 2, 16, 30, May 14* (* And weekly during peak migration.) Journey North News Bald Eagle Migration Update: Feb. 5, 2002 Eagle Eye Nye is back for his 9th season. Look over his shoulder this spring as he tracks bald eagle migration by satellite. Migration won't begin until March, but biologists use winter data to set conservation priorities on the eagles' wintering grounds. Fascinating secrets are revealed when studying how an organism's body--and its behavior--are adapted to its environment. There's always a WHY behind WHAT you see. Bald Eagle Migration Update: February 19, 2002 "If you had my job, what would you say you've learned so far about eagle behavior?," asks Biologist Peter Nye. Use today's data to make a "winter range map" for Nye's NY eagles. Your job is to define each bald eagle's wintering range, and then describe the eagle's behavior within that range. To put these eagles' travels in perspective, make a human home range map and compare the eagle's travels to your own. The TAIL is this week's featured Eagle Adaptation--Why are eagles' tails short, sturdy, able to fan when they fly and turn white when the eagle is 4-6 years old? Bald Eagle Migration Update: February 26, 2002 This is an unscheduled update to bring you the news: Nye's first two eagles have taken a surge northward, launching the migration season of 2002. It?s not every day that the satellite catches an eagle while it?s migrating. Remember: The eagle?s transmitter only sends information every 2 days--and sometimes at night when the eagles are sleeping! How fast did Eagle E63 travel and what was the weather that day? Bald Eagle Migration Update: March 5, 2002 A Golden Eagle joins Nye's Bald Eagles this spring, after successful trapping last week. "This is only the second golden eagle we have ever put a satellite radio on," says Nye. "We wonder how a golden eagle?s migration will compare to our bald eagles' from the same area. This week's adaptation: The Beak How do Bald and Golden Eagles' beaks compare? Bald Eagle Migration Update: March 12, 2002 Just a quick update today with data for your map. No more signs of migration yet! After an early in late February by two eagles, everybody has been staying put. But March is migration month. Check out last spring's departure dates and predict when the eagles will fly. Bald Eagle Migration Update: March 19, 2002 Get Well Soon! The intrepid eagle tracker Peter Nye was out for back surgery last week. Send him a card! Meanwhile, consider what feels like to wear a satellite transmitter. If you wore a satellite backpack that weighed 2% of your body weight, how heavy would your backpack be? Do Bald Eagles ever bite biologists? Learn about eagle beaks and talons, their strongest weapons. Bald Eagle Migration Update: March 26, 2002 Peter Nye is back, despite his back! Yet all of his eagles are still staying put--except for E49, that is, who's already back on her nesting territory. How much more quickly did she move this year than last? Before you get too comfortable using satellite data to track migration, consider what might be happening when we're not looking! Finally, take a look at the high, high tech involved. Bald Eagle Migration Update: April 2, 2002 The eagles are clearing out of New York now, including Eagle E47 who the satellite caught in flight on Thursday. It's a rare chance to catch an eagle during migration! How far did she move in 5 hours and 21 minutes? And what might the eagles be doing when the satellites aren't looking? "I think the eagle is a lot busier than the map shows," says Lane. How high are satellites, clouds, the world's tallest trees and buildings? From skyscrapers to outer space, this lesson puts altitudes into perspective. Bald Eagle Migration Update: April 9, 2002 Another BIG week for migration. Collect these migration facts. Before satellite tracking none of this information could have been known! Try comparing migration distances to marathons.It would be impossible for a person to travel so many miles, in so little time, on foot. Did Eagle K72 learn her lesson back in Spring 2000- when she was clobbered by a late season blizzard? Bald Eagle Migration Update: April 16, 2002 Migration is underway for all but Golden Eagle A20. Can you see which eagles are back on nesting territories already? Meanwhile in New York, Peter Nye is getting ready to band eaglets next month. Visit an eagle nest with Peter; "Some nests get pretty gross with old, maggot-filled fish parts stuck in the sticks of the nest, baking in the hot sun!" he says. Read about the record-sized eagle nest once in Florida. Would that nest fit in your classroom? Bald Eagle Migration Update: April 23, 2002 Golden Eagle A20 is heading north at last! The satellite caught him during migration on April 15th. Exactly how far did he travel between 1:30 and 7:06 pm? Notice that Eagle E50 didn't "beeline" across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This is really no surprise because eagles rarely migrate over large bodies of open water. Find out why. Bald Eagle Migration Update: April 30, 2002 In just 6 days, Bald Eagle E50 hopped across the map all the way to the northeast coast of Labrador! Golden Eagle A20's zig-zagged travels have Peter Nye wondering where he's going. Learn about the Bald Eagle's food chain, and how environmental contaminants might travel from prey to predator. Then use Peter Nye's data from the Hudson River and decide where on the river you'd rather nest. Bald Eagle Migration Update: May 7, 2002 All of our Bald Eagles are now on territory. What's taking place on the nesting grounds? Read the list of chores the parents have in order to raise their babies. Fortunately, an eagle pair shares a lot of the responsibilities. How is this different from the ways male and female hummingbirds divides the same duties? FINAL Bald Eagle Migration Update: May 14, 2002 What generalizations can you make about Bald Eagle migration, based on this spring's observations? Write your own scientific paper based on the Bald Eagle research you have witnessed. As the migration season draws to a close, we'd like to turn your attention behind the scenes: Special thanks to our Bald Eagle biologist, Peter Nye! Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form