Hello again,
I arrived in the project area early this morning while the skies were dark, gloomy and full of mischief. I couldn't find the eagles at all today. I checked on the new nest twice. The swans had flown off sometime between yesterday and this morning, and in their place swam black ducks and mallards who paddled, stirring the pools keeping the water from freezing over.
I found an Osprey back on the frozen pools, sitting high in a cottonwood. He watched me for awhile, then flew to the other side of the pool.
As I scavenged for a daily story I came up on an opening swirling with what I thought were water strider insects skimming the surface. Instead, in the opening I witnessed thousands of sunfish struggling to the top of the heap for air. Below their stirring bodies laid a heap of dead sunfish, sunk but not forgot. The live fish darted in and out of their dead bodies and they found refuge in them.
Fish who were trapped too long beneath the frozen pool in the shallow water with thousands of others sunfish and pond dwellers in a world of decreasing oxygen beneath the ice. If only they could have held out another few days until the ice broke into our air.
I photographed them. I wanted to make their life count. There is nothing lovely about dead fish, but their death became a page one in this journalists documentary. It saddened me that all these fish died, some floating and others still remained cemented in the layers of ice. Several fish skeletons were strewn on the edge of the ice. At least their death would create food for the otters, and other creatures.
After this I hiked about a half mile south of Daedee and Dancer's nest but didn't find them anywhere. Only crows, chickadee, and lots of fresh deer track and a wild turkey who called out several times.
Snow is predicted for tonight. I look forward to tomorrow. Snow or not, I look forward to the discoveries.
On my way home I stopped at the pay phone in town and called my office. As the phone rang I heard a clanking of coins dropping in the coin box. I had to look. To my surprise there were six quarters inside. I couldn't believe that Qwest paid me to use their phone.
I couldn't resist calling my office back after I hung up--just to see if I got paid again. Qwest--please call me for your refund.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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