Hello,
I had a wonderful day five in the valley of the eagles in Minnesota. It was cooler today, hovering between 22º and 24º and there was a brisk wind most of the day, making it feel like 10º. It's supposed to be only 17º tomorrow. I'll have to wear my scarf.
Today was a good eagle watching day. I saw my farm eagle soaring on my drive down. I've watched this eagle for at least two years now. I wonder if it has a nest somewhere near the farmland. I wonder if it feeds on unsuspecting wild turkey, or what its diet actually consists of.
On my first pass through passing Daedee and Dancer's nest, followed by Judy and her unknown mates nest, I found both were empty. In fact, I didn't find any eagles up until I had almost reached the swans. There in front of me, right on the river was a gorgeous pair of eagles staring back. They were either nest two eagles (Judy's) or nest three eagles. They were not Edward or Elaina. I know that because I found one of them on nest four a bit later.
I shot a few pictures but one flew off when a van slowed down by them, so I didn't get the closer shot of both of them. The eagle that flew kept calling to the mate. It's chirp and call
was so different that what I was used to with Dancer and Daedee.
The mate who perched about 500 feet further back gave a deep, resonant "Crk, crk," and that made the feathers stand up on the beak of the other eagle who was perched near me. Before the echo carried fully across the valley that second eagle had flown right to its mate. (Photo above).
These two eagles were already doubling up together and I think this is the most precious time to watch the eagles, they become so endearing to one another during this pre-courtship, which every day out here is beginning to look more like the actual courtship. They were busy landing from perch to perch all along the slough and back river for the time I watched them.
There is a good chance this was Judy and her mate. I've ruled out this pair as Edward and Elaina (Tookies parents) as I mentioned above I later found either Edward or Elaina on the nest at nest four.
I didn't find anyone on nest three today. I am trying to figure out how I am going to document four nests this year. I will give most of my time to Daedee and Dancer.
I found the trumpeter swans again. I did some research on them last night. In the back of my head I seemed to remember that it was nearly impossible to tell the difference between a tundra swan or a trumpeter without hearing their call. Sort of like trying to tell the difference between a Cope's gray tree frog and a gray tree frog. You have to hear their call too.
The trumpeter is about 4 feet tall, and the tundra about 3 feet tall. The trumpeter has a red line, on its lower mandible (which these do), however, the tundra swan can, too. The tundra swan will have a yellow spot in front of the eye in 80% of the birds, but the trumpeter swan can too. I learned all that on the DNR web site. So, then wait for their trumpeting call--I guess.
I'm pretty sure these are trumpeter swans. They are big swans. Tundra are just a little more round looking in the head.
I'd be thrilled to learn they were nesting there. Maybe they are scouting for a new home in the valley? If so, I'll cover their nesting and rearing.
Not much else going on today. Some hunters out, some people walking across the frozen ice--making me worry they'd fall in through the thin ice. I think they got scared at one point, one of them came running quickly from what must have been a thin area. I guess they don't know the current changes the ice and what is thick today can be razor thin later on in the day.
As I journeyed on I saw two more adult eagles weaving in and out of each others flight above Judy's nest. I have to wonder if that was Judy and her mate? If so, there is no chance that her mate is one of Daedee and Dancer's offspring, for whoever she was flying with was an adult eagle, too.
I headed back to Dancer and Daedee's nest area. I sat until the sun went down behind the bluffs, the pre-dusk hour that I love. The time of day when you begin to hear twigs snapping around you, a distant hoot from the great horned owl, the chilly call of a pileated woodpecker in flight, and the encroaching circus of a pair of chickadees. I was already packed and ready to hike out when the wind must have whispered its secret language into my soul, loud enough to make me turn my head in its direction and follow it. When I did my eyes caught sight of two white dots about a half mile north in the thick of the woods.
I focused my big lens on the dots and chuckled as I found Dancer and Daedee sharing a long
perch sitting next to each other.
I enjoyed watching them from afar. It was too dark to hike back there to them and out again, but mostly I captured a picture that to me showed how small they were in the magnificent valley of trees. I had the shot I wanted. The pair of eagles I love so dearly, quietly spending some time alone.
To step into that frame would have ruined the beauty.
Looking forward to Day 6.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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