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Dear Eagle Friends,
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I captioned all the photo's in green as a tribute to the Irish.
It was anything but green in Southeast Minnesota today. In fact, it was a dreadfully icy drive to the valley. All the country roads were covered in a sleet-snow mixture. At best I think I was only pushing 40 mph. I slowed on a bend where a young lady in a
small volkswagon beetle, white, just like the snow falling down, was wedged in the deepest ditch on that country road.
Two big, handsome rouges were pushing her vehicle out. I slowed and asked if they needed help, which was maybe an insult
to such big men, but I couldn't just pass without asking. There is no cell coverage there. I would have made a call when I passed through the small town ahead, if necessary.
They waved me on, and I drove on, dropping my speed to about 30 mph.
I had strong inkling to cover the other nests first today. So I trusted that feeling. I am glad I did, for on my journey I found the sleet-snow storm had brought in all sorts of birds today. I arrived at nest 2 and found Judy on the nest for her day 24 incubation.
Nest 6 was on the nest, too, for day 9 incubation. It looked like Linda, the female, and Dick was perched above her with large
snow, cascading down around them. I just loved watching that scene. The geese were fighting again the entire time I was there, but nothing to serious.
I moved on to nest 5 and could barely see an eagle on the nest, but there was one, just one, sitting on their 19 day old egg(s).
I only drove another mile when I saw two eaglets in a tree with an adult eagle. I pulled over quickly to see who we had here.
Then another adult flew in and landed. The four of them vocalized so loudly they set the sandhill cranes into a calling spree.
I looked everywhere for the cranes, but couldn't see them. The snow was coming down to fast. Then I noticed more eagles up
about a quarter mile back, sitting in trees along the river, and even more on some open water on the back oxbow. So I walked
quietly, and I even managed to walk within 30 feet of several geese who were all watching me. If I was going to get a shot of the eagles I had to get past the geese without them sounding their trumpeting honks.
I stood for a long time just to let them know I meant no harm. Then I moved on. They let me pass. I set up my tripod and shot off a half dozen shots, and the eagles were all over the ice, and open water. I have never seen an eagle migration come through the valley in four years, so this was very interesting to observe.
What I wanted to know even more was how it was they knew to stay out of nest 3 and nest 4? I found both nest 3 and nest 4 eagles mates sitting directly in front of their nests and maybe they vocalized in a way that said, "Stay out" to passing eagles?
They allowed them within a half mile of their mates sitting on their nests.
Then I watched as an adult eagle tore up some fish, and a three eaglets gathered around the eagle, and one adult, and there was no pushing or shoving, no grabbing--well--a couple pieces were grabbed, both times the eaglets flew ten feet off and swallowed the small pieces, but quickly returned.
It made me wonder if these adult eagles had successfully raised and were still with their 2007 eaglets? Triplets, no less.
I have observed many eaglets feeding with adults, and they never let them in that close. So this was really something, and I'm glad I had my trusty little video camera on them.
There were at least twenty eagles out there. None of which were our nesting eagles. All our eagles were accounted for, all twelve. As I was standing there with sleet melting on my face, and dripping down my collar I could hear those sandhill cranes so close that I could almost locate their position by the echoes. There were at least two on the river, probably four.
I could almost guarantee two more were up by nest 3.
I hiked out and back to my truck, looking back at all the flapping wings of eagles a half mile away. What a lucky day this was for me.
When I reached nest three, I could barely see the eagle on the nest, but she was there. Then I saw them, two sandhill cranes
just a couple hundred feet from me, between the back oxbow and nest three. I shot only a few frames before the sleet turned back to snow turning the back marshes into a scene of white static, and hiding all but the sounds of the sandhill cranes.
Nest four eagle watched over his nest, and I could barely make out the eagle on it.
As I backtracked, I figured this would have been about the time I would be passing through this area, had I not trusted my instinct. I looked around and there were no more sandhill cranes, the migrating eagles had disappeared into the trees and may even have flow to the Mississippi by then.
I would have missed all those shots, I wouldn't have even known that had taken place. However, it wasn't until I found The Mayor up by a carcass with two eaglets, one who I was sure was our Damian, the older 2007 twin of nest one. He looked back at me, and looked at his white-tipped, sandy brown wing pattern and the dark beak with the edges of yellow, I looked at his size, and still think he is a she eagle, and I was pretty certain it was Damian 1.5 miles from his birth nest.
Then there was this other eaglet, at least a two year old eaglet, maybe even three years old, but it had a lot of white on its head. Well he sat there behind this tree and peeked out at me. That's when I realized the tree had a eaglet shaped head, complete with a knot-hole eye. With the real eaglet perched behind it, it made the perfect book cover for my The Spirit Trees
of Whitewater book.
I hope you like the cover. I'm hoping this book will out by mid summer.
Not much going on at Daedee and Dancer's nest. In fact, I was kind of glad. It gave me about fifteen minutes to write down all that I had seen today into my notebook. Then it was time to hit the icy roads home.
It was a great day, a rare gem at every bend. I thank God for the entire journey. I thank you all for being my supporters.
I'm looking forward to day 70.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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