Hello Eagle Friends,
Meanwhile, check them out at: Tasha Tudor Museum
Today was a remarkable, snowy day! Many schools were cancelled again due to another Minnesota storm. Travel was almost impossible, but I had to drive, how else would I reach my project if I didn't at least try?
The temperature hung right at 31 degrees, just cold enough to keep frozen, the biggest snowflakes I've seen this season. It was spectacular, almost magical, watching the billions of thumbnail-sized, white, snowflakes drifting down and landing where ever they blew.
On my drive down my attention was immediately drawn into the three hen pheasants scratching for corn in a farm field. Then a rooster, a big ringneck pheasant joined them. I think, no, I am sure that I have the largest collection of snowy day pheasant photos. Once in a while, I do I get some shots of them on a sunny day.
I hiked out in the deepening snow wishing I had taken a few minutes to strap on my snowshoes. I thought my trail would be sufficient, but it wasn't. Once there, I saw an eaglet race over my head and in a moment was gone, disappearing in the white-out.
As I was standing in Daedee and Dancer's nest area and saw that eaglet pass over me, I secretly hoped it was Damian or Dorothy from this last years nesting season. I had a moment of luck and grabbed a couple shots--blurry shots, but better than nothing. If you ask what good are those, really? They are good for documenting the: who, what, where, when, why and how. There's a reason they never put "blurry" in the above set of rules.
I hung out there only an hour before I hiked out and moved onwards. The roads worsened the further I traveled. Twice I almost turned back. The plows were likely clearing the main highways, a chore in itself. They had not been out in the depths of the valley. We already had at least 4-5 inches on the roads. I kept sliding sideways trying to escape the drifts, but I made it to all the nests today, twice.
On my first pass, one adult and one juvenile eagle sat over the deer carcasses. If it wasn't a complete white-out at that point, I might have even been able to identify whether that was Daedee or Dancer and one of their eaglets, but the snow covered every identifying mark on both eagles.
The snow plummeted around them and I watched them with curious as to what they thought, and why they didn't fly down to feed. They looked so regal, and they looked so--unmovable in this weather.
Next stop, I found the trumpeter swans both standing up on the ice. I laughed as the one stood on one leg and scratched around his right eye, using his right foot. I was amazed at the balance this large bird had. I couldn't believe how gentle and controlled he could be with those huge black, webbed feet rubbing the yellowed feathers around penetrating dark eyes staring my direction.
Suddenly, as I was watching the swans a half dozen mallards quacked, flying low above the pond and landed into the swans' pond. Immediately, every bird stood erect with a serious look on their faces. Something was up. So I looked around too, and between falling snowflakes I discovered a nest 6 eagle was now perched above them.
I left the pond and moved on, but as I did, the roads grew deeper with snow. I knew if I slid off, I'd have a long, long, long wait for help. In fact, I had to face the facts, it would be quicker to walk 8 miles back to the nearest town than wait for help. There is no cell coverage there.
Instead of worrying what could happen, I went looking for the eagles. I found the red tail hawks, about where I had seen them yesterday. The snow kept falling and falling. I looked at my temperature gauge and it was now flashing 33 degrees. I stared at the flakes, waiting, expecting them to turn to water at any moment, and after a long wait, I couldn't understand why it was still snowing.
I drove on, and as I took a bend, instantly, like someone waved a water wand those lovely flakes turned to sleet. It was truly a wintery, Minnesota Monday.
I got stuck for a moment down by the kingfisher, but I just gave the truck some gas and slid up the drifted embankment, sideways, but I've been there before. You learn to do that. Drive and spin, ride the ditches, ride your own snowbanks. You can't expect to pull over on a drifted decline, and not expect to get stuck. On the other hand, I can't just stop in the middle of the road, because, that would be the one time a vehicle would be coming.
As I passed back to the trumpeter swans I found them settled, but I saw the eagles, both Nest 6 eagles together. I watched them for almost an hour. I enjoyed watching them as they flew off one at a time and went tree to tree. They would snapped off a branch and fly back into their nest and drop the stick inside.
However, that was just the beginning. Next, I watched as one would circle around and around, in the sky carrying a large stick, and I couldn't figure out why it didn't just fly in with it. It was like there was some secret eagle air controller on duty, and the eagle with the big stick wasn't allowed to land, not yet.
Then I saw why. The mate was in the nest, laying the sticks in the order and fashion they wanted. When that eagle flew off, they signaled to the other eagle and the other eagle dropped down, legs extended, like a little parachuter dropping into his nest.
This went on for about twenty minutes and then something I least expected took place. The female was perched on a long bare perch below their nest. I barely had time to focus my video camera as I was watching the male coming in. Yes, I know it was the male because all of a sudden, he descended, landing on the females back. They mated for about three seconds, screaming like banshee's and then the female flipped him off her back.
I finally have documented proof which eagle is the male and which eagle is the female. In my limited experience, they are about two to three weeks early, but like I keep saying, I'm trusting the eagles for an early spring. I feel confident when I write: courtship is in full swing at nest 6.
I moved on and found one of the nest 5 eagles. I only had a chance for a couple shots because this eagle was "on the wing" flying around, hunting something. I laughed as I watched it perch and look down below, and then behind, and then to the right. What ever it was after, it had the eagles' attention.
Moving past all this and heading back towards the carcasses, I found several eagles perched there. I ran into an old friend, Geno from the hill, he works on the Mississippi Lock & Dam, and we talked a little while. I asked him how he felt since his heart attack. He smiled and said, "Well, I am almost 60, but I'm high mileage."
The people I meet there are some of the most loving and caring people I have ever met. Maybe that's why my heart is drawn into that valley, it's not just the land, the beauty, or the eagles, but the people who tend that valley too. God knew what he was doing when he put those wonderful people together.
It finally stopped snowing and sleeting, and I was thankful for one of the most beautiful days I have ever had down there. (Well, until the next day) The trees branches pulled to the ground from the weight of the snow. The grapes on the vines, or maybe they were elderberries, whatever they were, they were holding up a couple inches of snow.
The roads were slushy coming home which made for uncomfortable driving, but God-willing, I made it home safely.
I had an afternoon meeting with the Geek Squad, and so I quickly through in some chicken on wild rice, and made some bread pudding, and tossed in some red skin potatoes. Ran over to the studio met with the man from Geek Squad, and he got my computers back up and it turns out--he hunts in the valley. So we swapped some stories.
When I checked my email tonight, I found an email from Amy Tudor from the Tudor family and she told me Tasha is no longer granting interviews, but her and Winslow (Tasha's son), would do the interview. I believe Amy and Winslow have a perspective to share that you will all enjoy, so I am going to accept their gift, and ask for a date I can interview them.
Meanwhile, check them out at: Tasha Tudor Museum
Looking forward to Day 28.
I'll see you on the journey--
Lisa
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