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Hello Eagle Friends,
It was 30 degree, snowy day in the valley. I had only one goal. Get my book cover from today's shots for Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles. Today's snowflakes were not too big and not too small. All I needed to complete this picturesque, "just right" snow fall scene was the nest 1 eagles.
Easier said than accomplished I might add. I hiked out quietly but I didn't see any eagles up on the nest, so I determined they must not have started laying yet.
I put my gear down, expecting a long wait and leaned back against my camera bag. I barely had sat when I heard a loud 'whoosh-whoosh-whoosh" sound. As I looked up there was Damian, the 2007 oldest eaglet twin above my head tilting his head down looking at me.
He was so close, barely above my head, that if I had jumped I probably could have reached him. I looked around expecting, hoping that his sibling, Dorothy would be following. She never showed. But I'm not giving up hope. I'm giving her re-appearance a longer wait.
I saw Damian fly down by the river so I hiked down there passing the eagle nest. I paused and looked up but didn't see Daedee or Dancer and moved on. The fresh snow on the ice-crusted layer of snow made hiking difficult and slippery. I walked in the steps of a big buck which made it a little easier than breaking this snow cake with each step.
I shot a few shots and then Daedee appeared over me. She was heading to the nest tree. I turned my lens on her and she landed on the top north branch. I looked around for Dancer to see if he would follow. I checked the time and noticed this was the same time as yesterday, almost to the second that they eagles retuned to the nest.
Then she flew down into the nest, and that is when I noticed Dancer stand up. He had been there the entire time. I couldn't believe it. I walked past and stood right there and never even saw him on the nest. He has accepted me in his nest area and I know that or he would have flown off.
I wondered if they would mate again. I wanted that to be my book cover, well, maybe my book cover if I could get them again today in the snow that would be perfect.
A few minutes passed and Daedee flew to that big cottonwood tree on the river, a tree that didn't used to be on the river, but since the floods ate away the entire 40 feet of ground, it is now a riverside tree.
Then Daedee gave Dancer the "come-here" call. He flew right over and mated her. I shot several frames, but there were a lot of scrappy branches in the way.
His dismounted and stayed next to her. The two of them sat side by side, watching the animals come and go, birds, and two more times Daedee cried telling him in her language she was receptive, and she would let out little chirps but he didn't mount her.
The snow fell down around them and it was absolutely the perfect book cover, everything I wanted for this year's title.
I shot them them looking right, then looking left, looking at each other, looking at the river, heads tucked down, preening, looking at each other.
I shot so many pictures that I can't decide which I like best. I kept the video camera rolling for 45 minutes. I don't know anyone but me that would actually want to sit and watch them all that time in that scene. I was running out of time and still had the rest of my project to cover. I was just ready to leave when Daedee gave Dancer that cry again.
Then she called out, and he answered while climbing on her back. He screamed and she screamed for about 15 seconds filling the valley with eagle call; echoes that promised the future days of 2008 to be a year of re-growth and rebuilding. I named that tree on my way out as I thought about all the possibilities 2008 has in store for the eagles, me and all of you.
I named it, The Future Tree. It'll grow on you--I promise.
When I reached nest 2 I barely could see an eagle, but there was an eagle and it was either Judy or The Mayor incubating their egg(s), day 11.
When I arrived at nest 6 there were 3 coyote on the shore. Two ran one way the other up by the eagle nest. I don't understand
why I am seeing so many coyote during the noon hour.
No opossum today. Maybe it was too snowy for an opossum to come out.
As I neared nest 5 I saw one of those new eagles, possibly a nest 7 in the making pair, fishing the big pond. He struck the water and pulled up the water but the fish slipped away. He was probably going for one of those "orca" suckers we grow here in the big ponds of Minnesota.
By the time I reached nest 5 the snow was coming down so hard I could barely see an eagle. However, I did see one sitting on their nest. This is their one week milestone.
By the time I reached nest 3 and 4 it was white-out conditions with zero visibility back there. So I don't know if there were eagles on the nests or not. I shot pictures, but mostly, it's a black blob with a white foreground of snowflakes.
It was such a perfect day I came home and called Greg to tell him what I saw today.
He thanked me again for yesterday and then he asked if I heard about the wolf that was shot in my project area.
I felt my heart fall on the floor. "It's all over the news."
I didn't even want to believe it. "What happened?"
I went to the Post-Bulletin Website, and found my friend John Weiss wrote the article.
Greg and I talked about the wolves yesterday. I told him I wanted to be the first one to get the shot.
Now I realize how careless those words were. I missed my photo shot, but the coyote hunter didn't.
It was an accident. He didn't expect them in this area. He was 250 yards away from the coyote. I'll just say it this way:
"I have met several people who would shoot a wolf, they've admitted it, but all told me they would say they thought it was a coyote. Accident or not, there is probably a mate out there who could, and probably will die of a broken heart now. If I can
identify a male or female eagle from a quarter mile to half mile away with my lens or naked eyes I would think the hunter could tell a coyote from wolf."
Now we know they do exist here.
For every good thing today I am thankful. For every bit of bad news today I am thankful, for both have become the tapestry
of my day. If you could see my mind it would be a winter scene with a timber wolf rising to Heaven.
I'm looking forward to day 58.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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