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Hello Eagle Friends,
Today was a record day for eagles! At last, all eagle pairs are nesting. Although some of these photos are shot from a half mile away, you can still see the eagles in the nests. On every single nest I documented both eagles together (nest 1 and 3), or one on the nest while the mate
watched over their nest-bound mate, from a close distance.
It was 43 degrees when Em and me arrived late afternoon, and by the time we were leaving my truck showed the temperature at 48 degees. I was amazed at how much snow remained after this
mini "heat wave."
It was the first day since late fall that a jacket seemed unneccessary. Em and me found several
winter bugs for my expanded editon Winter Bugs book, but only one will get a page.
While waiting at our White Wolf post we watched Daedee the female eagle of nest one fly off and perch on the north limb. Then we watched Dancer immediately fly in with two feet full of mud and golden grasses. He spent a few minutes adding to their nest, and then flew off to the south.
Daedee immediately went back on the nest and laid down on her egg(s). This is day 8 incubation for my star eagles.
At nest two the eagle was laying in the nest for day 17 incubation.
When we reached nest 6 I found one eagle brooding their egg(s) which is day 3 for this pair. While I was scanning the nest with my lens I happened to have my lens on the right place to capture the mate landing on his look out post over their nest.
There was only one common merganser on the pond, and a handful of geese. No coyote today that were visible.
Em spotted an immature eagle on the big pond. "Good eye's Em!" I encouraged her to watch him as he looked like he would dive down any second trying for a fish. He had every small duck on the pond making noises, and the geese honking.
When I reached nest 5 I found the eagle deep in the nest, I wondered if this was the mate to the eagle I usually see on the nest. This eagle sat deeper back and was harder to see. This was day 13 incubation for them.
When we arrived at nest 3 I found both eagles up on the nest. One laying on their egg(s) which is also day 3 for them, and the other eagle standing by his or her side. I don't think they were swithching, I often find this pair side by side.
As I was going to nest 4, a foot long ball of silvery gray fur caught my eyes. It was an opossum heading up an 80 degree incline, which was a mudslide with all the spring thaw happening as he climbed. Not only could I hear the water pittering off the rock on rocks below, but I photographed it.
The oppossum sat clinging to a long branch, catching himself before he slid down the hill.
I photographed him at about a twenty foot distance while he looked back at me.
Nest 4 eagles have finally settled! The oldest nest with the wisest eagles has begun their 2008
family. I could barely see the eagle on the nest, so I had to shoot images at several angles to be sure I was seeing an eagle. The snow on their nest has played tricks with my eyes before. However, this time it really was an eagle.
The second clue was the mate sitting 500 feet to the north watching him mate on the nest. That's a sure sign incubation has begun.
63 days completed. At least 6 new eaglets are growing in eggs right now as I type this. In all likelyhood, we could be expecting 12 eaglets, if they all make it.
That's a lot of eagles to watch but I'm going to try my best.
I'm looking forward to day 64.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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