On March 4, 2026, at the Decorah eagle nest, HM2 stepped away briefly from incubation to grab a quick meal. The devoted mother had been patiently warming her eggs and finally took a short break to enjoy a fish. For a moment, it seemed like a quiet opportunity to refuel before returning to the nest. But the calm didn’t last long. Almost immediately, a group of crows began harassing her, loudly protesting her presence and swooping nearby. What should have been a simple breakfast quickly turned into a noisy standoff.
A powerful winter storm buried Decorah’s eagle mom, HM2, under a thick blanket of snow as she incubated her egg. Nearly hidden from view, she refused to leave, keeping her egg warm through the long, freezing night.