You're not the only one bothered by gnats

(Photo courtesy of Raptor Resource Project)

John e-mails Mr. Answer Person: ""The Decorah Eaglets are continually shaking their heads to total distraction. I feel sorry for them in this distress.  Are the local gnats the perpetrators or is something else at work here?"

Mr. Answer Person reached out to Raptor Resource Project Director Bob Anderson with your question.  Here's what he said: 'We are experiencing a heavy hatch of gnats.  They do not appear to be biting (black fly gnats) only a big bother to the eagles and many other young birds in nearby nests."

"Yesterday I was called upon to pick up two red-tailed hawks on the ground near the intersection of Highway 9 and Highway 52.  Both young hawks had jumped from the nest prematurely.   We also had a young falcon on camera go nuts due to the pesky gnats and jump from the cliff nest box two weeks before the falcon should have fledged.  The bugs are bugging!"