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Hello Eagle Friends,
Greetings from Minnesota. Today temperatures hung around 38 degrees, but it wasn't as windy as yesterday. Em wanted to come with to see the eagles. So we hiked out and on the way we found a small beetle larvae walking in the snow on our path.
I took several images of the half inch long critter as he chewed tunnels in and back up through the ice.
When we reached our new post, we saw Dancer leave the nest, and fly over the river, cross back to our side of the river and land somewhere out of view. The next thing we heard was the sound of two eagles mating. 7 times now this season for me, this was Em's first time.
Then they both flew in and landed perch above perch, in a tall tree next to Riverside North, a tree they usually pick for perching. Then Daedee flew in and took over nest duty. Em loved our new eagle post and she climbed all over the logs trying each out log to see where she'd get the best view. She wants to call this post, Eagleopia. So Eagleopia it is. She has even planned where she'll sit when it warms up to work on her nature sketch book.
She never ceases to amaze me, her creativity and pure heart are gifts from above. She found a couple plant sticks and waved them at me to spar, and in doing so they broke, expelling a little worm inside. Then I felt bad that we destroyed this little critters home, so I photographed him, and a second worm, and we put them safely under the log to finish their metamorphis into a fly or wasp, whatever they were.
The one had this long black foot that came in and out of his head and because his head was transparent you could watch it going in and out of his body, but he used it like a claw, and that's how he moved around. Like an ice climber using a pick he'd sink it into the plant stem, and pull himself up.
It was rather interesting to watch.
We moved on to nest 2 where Judy was on the nest incubating the eggs for day 22.
Then as we headed to nest 6, I opened up the food we brought: two slices of Kwik Trip's very own cranberry-orange bread and banana bread. I still miss their pumpkin bread.
One of the nest 6 eagles were on the nest and this was their one week milestone. The geese lined the shores, and mallards flew on and off the ponds. Now it seems they are the ones fighting amongst themselves. Although it seems a little early for courtship, there were two or three drakes for every female mallard.
As I was filming I heard the, Crkk-crkk, crkk sounds--"Em, did you hear that?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yes. Mom, that's the sandhill crane's isn't it?"
"Yes. I have heard them a few times this week. Maybe we'll get to see them today."
"That would be so cool."
It was those sandhill cranes that opened all these projects to me, and just last night I was working on images for my Walk The Burn book, and pulled out one image of those sandhill cranes.
We left nest 6 and we were heading to nest 5 when my eyes saw the four to five foot bird standing on top of a muskrat lodge and its made wading through the tall dry grasses.
"Em, look over to the left--it's the sandhill cranes!"
"Oh. Mom, they are so beautiful."
"You better draw them in your journal with today's date. That's important to keep track of those sightings.
Suddenly, I found myself drifting back in thought while looking at my little girl who had doubled in height since that first sandhill crane sighting in March of 2005. I could remember in detail the smile, the awe, and the wonderment I saw both in her
eyes and my nephew Forrest's face when I took them here in 2005 to see these magnificent birds.
I didn't start just snapping away. I wanted that first image for this year to be perfect, the right look, the right bend of their neck. I took a shot just as the bird began to step down off the muskrat lodge. We sat for almost an hour, waiting for them to
join up for a couple shots.
I filmed them as the one bird called out to the mate, and I photographed them as they walked through those withered yellow grasses. Then we moved on.
Nest five was on their nest for day 17 incubation. A nest 3 eagle was standing on their nest eating something and flew off. A nest 4 eagle was sitting deep in their nest for day 4 incubation.
I haven't seen the cottontail in over a week. That could mean it is in the cave nursing new bunnies, or perhaps it was eaten by a predator. I'll trust it's new bunnies. I hope to be able to get a shot of the family one of these days. The edges of the cave are
well trampled, fresh tracks, so I am leaning to the possibility of little ones inside.
That was our journey today. Another Saturday open for exploration, all that was required was time, the willingness to go, and
the anticipation of what lay ahead.
We went to Horton Hear's A Who tonight. It was a fun movie and they did a wonderful job on the animation with Jim Carey and Carol Burnett's personalities intertwined into the Elephant and the mother kangaroo. It was more than I expected and we left the theatre wondering when it would be out on DVD. This film is a keeper, and will be added into our DVD library of favorites.
Here I am typing this out at the last possible minute of the night. I told them, "I'll go to the late movie, but only if I can still get my blog done before midnight."
It was 11:59 PM when I hit the "Publish Post."
I'm looking forward to day 68.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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