Hello Eagle Friends,
It has rained and stormed the entire day and the forecast doesn't change much for the next couple days. Oh, except that we are
expecting snow tomorrow. If April showers bring the May flowers, then what does April snow bring in May? Snow Shoe sales, winter suits, and boots?
Despite the dreary weather forecast, I'm convinced that whatever weather challenges I will face there will be an onset of photo opportunity to draw inspiration from.
I arrived in the valley early this morning. The sketch of my Em is how she looks as she blows me a kiss good-bye in the mornings and heads to school.
I decided to save nest 1 for last again. I was hoping for some good shots in the rain at the other nests. Judy was soaked on nest 2 both times I stopped.
Nest 6 eagle, same story but Dick was sitting by his mate in a nearby tree. I keep trying to figure out why the females seem to always be on the nests during the storms.
The geese were all on their nest boxes or mounds. If there was a hatching, no one was coming out from under their moms. The males were swimming around near their mates snipping off and eating the tall green marsh grasses that have emerged from the murky pond scum.
The great blue heron was fishing his favorite fishing hole to the south, and has learned my truck and where I stop so he flies just a little further back when seeing my truck.
At nest 5 where the DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources), did their controlled burn 11 days ago, there was now a field of mushrooms that sprouted up to five inches in height--overnight. If I knew what they were I would tell you. I have about 80 or more species of mushrooms I have photographed in the valley these past several years.
Without a doubt, the morels are going to be early this year. I think I'll start looking this weekend. I'm also going to look for more mushrooms to add to my photos of fungi. Maybe I'll do a book on those, or at least a spring fungi exhibit.
Nest 5 eagle was hunkered down in her nest on her 19, yes, 19 day old eaglet. I don't think I'll ever get his picture.
Nest 3 and 4 eagles were also deep in their nests. So I collected pond scum, duckweed, and pond water, plus a few snails and some eggs of a ?? something on the leaves, for Em's natural aquarium. I can't figure out why her lepoard frog sings to her, croaks, every time she lifts it up and hold it. The other frog must be "the silent type"?
I hiked out to Daedee and Dancers nest. I expected to find Daedee on the nest, and sure enough she was there. She was soaked to the white under white-feathered head. In the two hours I was there I enjoyed the company of a robin, a cardinal
singing, a pileated woodpecker licking the water drops from the crevices in the bark, a pair of morning doves courting, and of course Daedee.
There was no chance of getting a shot of the eaglets today, even if I had been there the entire day. I feel the shots I took today of Daedee showed the dedication of a mother eagles journey to raise her young were equally important to this project.
As I hike out a trio of bluebirds, two males courting a female scattered before my view and disappeared into the dense foilage.
It was a wonderful day in the valley.
I'm looking forward to day 108.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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