May 25, 2018
DN7 and DN8 both died today. Why did the eaglets die? As we learned last year at Great Spirit Bluff, blackflies carry a pathogen that overwhelms the immune systems of young birds. Today's blackfly strike, combined with the extreme heat and humidity, was more than the eaglets could take. The North reclutch was inspirational, but we all worried that the late hatch might negatively affect the eaglets - and it did. As John pointed out, what happened at the North nest shows how important the hatch window is in the larger picture. Insect hatches that overlap the vulnerable developmental stages of eagles and falcons can have devastating effects.