Click banner to go to my host bio and listen to show at showtimes, Fridays at 11 AM EST, or to download archives anytime. This week is Pt. 2 Flashes of Hope.
Hello Eagle Friends,
I think I found the shot I want for my Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles today. It's the shot above of Dancer sitting next to Daedee. This is one of their favorite perches they share. Every time I look at them together, an eagle pair
that has been together for at least the past 8 years, maybe longer. I feel so blessed to be with them.
It was another bitterly cold day. It was minus 4 with the wind chill when I arrived. Air temperature was 15 degrees, but that
hardly counts when the wind blows taking your breath and burning your face.
I joke how I have a better tan than the people going in and out of the tanning salon next to my studio. If they only spent a day
in the field with me they could throw away their VIP passes to a tanning bed.
I hiked out from Daedee and Dancers, passing the white wolf in pursuit of an ever-shrinking real snow-made, snowshoe hare.
When I reached Judy and The Mayor's nest I knew I was wrong about them starting their family. They wouldn't be leaving an egg exposed to these winds. I didn't find either eagle anywhere near their nest. Still a small hope remains that Judy was laying deep in the nest and I couldn't see her. Daedee has done that to me many times over the past three years.
As I pulled around the bend to nest 6 I realized this was the hot spot for the morning. The trumpeter swans were laying on the
ice, nothing exciting there, but all the geese and ducks were watchful. All sat up, and there was a lot of bird communicating
going on from loud quacks to honks of the geese.
Then I saw him, the nest 6 eagle fly to his nest. As I shot the wind blew him off just as he was landing and the winds were so strong he curled his feet back up and just hovered for about ten seconds. The female was busy laying the nesting materials around the inside. It looked like they had some tree moss inside, which I haven't seen before. Usually the eagles are lining their nests with grasses and mud from the river or marsh edges.
I don't think the female wanted the male up there trampling up her newly laid materials for she kicked him off. Then he flew around and returned, but was booted out again. So he flew over and perched about a hundred feet from me. The crows came by and screamed at him, but he didn't move.
They went after a red-tailed hawk instead. I really don't like to see this red-tailed hawk spending so much time next to the eagles. I am concerned that when the eaglet(s) arrive they will make an easy meal for the hawk. I would almost think they took the nest from the red-tailed hawk, but I saw that eaglet come into their nest a week or so back. I don't think any hawk is going to reclaim a nest after two years.
It's odd that every eagle nest has a pair of red-tailed hawks that perch nearby.
There I was taking images of the swans and birds when the snow began falling, drifting downwards on the pond changing the entire landscape.
I watched Dick, the nest 6 male sit, preen, outlast the crows and then he tried going back to his nest again, but the female walked around the nest and he was suddenly lifted above it again.
This time he flew across the ponds over to the river, and I watched him swoop down on something. I aimed my lens between the branches just as I could see the fire in his eyes and he dove back down again. This second swoop sent alarm calls through the mallards and blue-winged teals on the river.
Dick picked up speed and dropped his talons coming down a third time and that sent the entire flock of ducks into widespread
hurry to get out--while they could.
Defeated the eagle flew back and perched up on a tree above the river watching the last ducks disappear into the north.
I moved on and found the nest three eagles active. One eagle was on the nest but joined the mate a few trees over. Then the mate flew down on top of the eagle that had just arrived knocking it off its perch.
I didn't see any activity on nest 3 or nest 5. The cottontail wasn't around on either check.
Up the road I spotted Sweetie, the red-tailed hawk who had landed in a two acre stand of dead trees and heavy underbrush on the edge of a marsh. The hawks appearance sent a red squirrel into a constant chatter, sounding his disapproval of the hawks arrival in ear-piercing chirps.
I walked through the snow and kneeled down to get his picture and he looked back at me through the corner of his left eye.
It was a wonderful day in the valley and I am looking forward to day 51.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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