Hello Eagle Friends,
Everyone knows how hot it was today! It was cooling off by late afternoon as temperatures dropped from the mid 90s to a cool 89 degrees in the valley. You would never have known that the storms we had yesterday could have ever clouded these blue skies.
I found no activity on nest 7, but maybe one day I will if I keep checking.
I hiked out to nest 1, and I guess I didn't do a very good job breaking my trail yesterday as I had to do it again in several places today to reach the nest.
The eaglets were crying out and I hoped they were on the nest tree. When I reached my west post I looked up and saw D'ODEE looking back at me. Then I watched a long leg stretch out and rest over the limb.
That third leg was Daniels. He was sitting behind D'ODEE and for the first time, ever, I had shots of the eaglets rubbing shoulders. I didn't think these two eaglets would ever bond, but they sure want to hang out together now that they don't have to sit together.
The winds were gusting tonight, nothing serious, but enough to keep the eaglets clinging to their perches. I was going to hike around to the north side but the eaglets kept opening their wings making me think they were going to fly off so I didn't leave my spot.
Daniels and D'ODEE were crying out to the turkey vultures that flew past them and then in front of the half moon. I wonder what they think of those big black birds with the pink fleshy heads. I wonder why they cry out--don't they know the difference between them and their parents?
I waited until the last ray of sun light splashed across their faces before I hiked out. They, like all the eaglets before them seem to enjoy watching that glowing sun go behind the bluffs. They get one last burst of energy like they know it's going to be a long night and start to flap around, or like Daniels and D'ODEE, fledge.
I was mildly disappointed that I had no shots on my field camera, but maybe tomorrow I will, and at least no one stole this one--yet.
I moved on to nest 2 and found it empty.
On my way to nest 6 I came upon those twin fawns again from the other day. This time they were galloping along the ditch, and drinking from the huge puddles in the road left over water from yesterday's storms.
Nest 6 had no eagle activity on the marsh floor or around the nest. I wonder where the
eaglets have gone.
Nest 5 had no eagle activity, nor did nest 3 or 4.
As I write this I find it hard to believe that 185 days have passed since beginning this year four story.
This is the part of the project that is the hardest. This is the season for letting go. That is hard to do when you get up every day and head east to the valley and make your day fit into the eagles world.
When I arrived home I found a nice email from Noel Sederstrom, the News Director of KTTC and he wrote they added my shots of Daniels and D'ODEE's fledging to their Website KTTC story on the eagle project.
and they were turning some news coverage to them on the evening news. If you didn't get to see the eagle story go check it out.
When I got home Em and me went grocery shopping, played some games and she fell asleep giving me some time to hand feed our frogs. The feature frog pictured above is one of my favorites. He has a cool frog personality. Guess you gotta feed a lot frogs to understand that one.
It was a great day.
I'm looking forward to day 186.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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