D24 Sightings

As we are all aware by now, since June 2017, D24’s satellite transmitter has not fully recharged as it should due to an unexplainable glitch in the transmitter. This has resulted in intermittent data since then, with a few “hits” in July (when we had our last visual of him), September, November, December, and the most recent, January 3 and 4, 2018. All of these points have come from an area 5-10 miles south of Decorah. Even though we did not have data for the last several days, I decided my technician, Bob, and I would take some time and drive to that area and search for a VHF signal from D24’s backpack transmitter. Conditions were favorable: it was early enough and cloudy enough that D24 would likely not be soaring, which makes tracking difficult. Even if the satellite transmitter is not sending data, if we could get within approximately two miles of D24, we should hear the constant VHF signal with the hand held receiver and antenna set to its frequency.

Once we got to Ossian, Iowa, we were on the eastern edge of his recent locations. We stopped a couple of times to check for a signal, but heard nothing. By the third stop we had a strong signal. We were able to quickly determine D24’s current location, east of Calmar, Iowa. He was with several other Bald Eagles, both adults and immatures, and was only 25 yards from the road in a wooded swale. D24 looks great. He has a dark chest patch and his belly is much lighter. His eye and beak are still brown, but the horn color is beginning to show on his beak. When he flew across the road to another perch his plumage appeared complete (i.e. we did not observe gaps in the wing or tail feathers). We received satellite data this morning (Wednesday) that showed he spent the rest of the day and night within two miles of where we spotted him late Tuesday morning.
It was a successful and gratifying trip, seeing D24 looking good and hanging out with other eagles not far from his natal area."

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