Hello Eagle Friends,
I'm back from another gorgeous day in the valley. It was sunny today with temperatures at 58 degrees when I arrived and reaching 65 degrees by the time I left. That, and I only had one wood tick bite.
I was going to cover all the nests and then spend the rest of my day with nest 1. Then as I started to pass the nest, I felt urged to go to that nest first. Dancer was chirping as I hiked out, his little greeting to me. I sat down and he looked around to see if I had anyone with me today. He seems to understand that I am there to observe him and his family.
D'ODEE Brian Michael stole the show today. He has the personality of a busy beaver, always testing sticks, tasting them, rutting around in the nest. The first shot above he came back up from dipping his head in the nest and had a crown of thorns when he reappeared. They must have itched and pricked him. That feeling went right down through his fuzzy grey down that clung to the pine needles and plant matter like the fiber side of velcro.
He shook, and wiggled, he tipped his head back and forth, and finally reached up and scratched them off with his right foot. I
know, just by the expression on Daniel Charlie's face that he was glad it was not him. He seems to be the wiser of the two, the last one to react, the last one to make a sudden move but rather he seems to think through every situation.
Dancer flew off and joined Daedee in a south to north bluff race. There was a pesky red-tailed hawk that they chased off together then the two of them glided and circled each other for a ten minute break. I wasn't sure who was going to come back
for nest duty as both appeared to be enjoying the freedom of flight.
A few minutes later Daedee flew in like a torpedo landing solidly on her perch with perfect balance. I love her expression in the shot above. The twins cried out to be fed, but she didn't feed them. So D'ODEE went back to exploring his nest and then his wings, stretching them out like mom, leaning forward which teaches him balance.
As many times as he flung his head back and opened his beak, the sound of a eagle announcing his presence never sounded from his goose-sized figure. He went back to rooting through the nest. Today was his day to shine, and I'm thankful for the new portfolio of D'ODEE Brian Michael.
It was hard leaving today. I sometimes miss having only this nest to cover. The long waits, the rare moments that I captured only because I was there watching. I'll have more time in a couple weeks, that's what I keep promising myself.
I found no activity on nest 7 or 8.
Even nest 2 was quiet today. I had hoped to get some footage of Terry Gail before he turned 6 weeks. The early afternoons seem to be his favorite time for a long nap.
At the first marsh I found both geese mom's and dad's with their babies. All 9 are still with us and growing fast.
Further away I passed my old marsh project where a caterpillar was creating yet another nice, even walking path. They have cleaned up a lot of the old dead trees that were so much a part of the swampy look of my Walk The Burn book, and Winter Bugs! book, that the area now it looks like a park to go visit in a city, rather than than the wild, swampy slough that it really is underneath. Another flood should rough it up again.
At nest 6 I found mom up with the twins. That nest is almost impossible to find now. I finally had to memorize all the new looks of the same trees but with foliage so I can more easily locate it.
None of the goose families were in sight today with goslings. There were a couple dozen unpaired, or unmated geese up on the back side, but no little ones. Goose mound 3 is still patiently sitting. That must be hard for her to watch all the other geese around her swimming and honking, cuddling their goslings while she keeps waiting and waiting. Maybe tomorrow they will hatch?
Up on the north side of the marsh, nest box 5 goslings were paddling around with their mom and dad. I shot images of the gosling pictured above just as he took a sip of water.
At nest 5 it looked like triplets were on the nest, but then I saw mom fly off, so my hopes of discovering a triplet nest this year
have, regrettably ended. Maybe next year.
At nests 3 and 4 I found no activity that was visible, and I wondered why I chose to do all the other nests last today, for I felt like I had not found hardly any subjects.
Suddenly, a great blue heron flew in, breaking my thoughts of lack of subjects. Maybe he heard my thoughts for he looked at me with a curious glance. Then a half dozen American coots revealed themselves from behind some dead grasses. The controlled burn nest box goose family came slinking into the scum covered marsh and only two goslings answered mom and dad.
Then the father dipped into the water and stood almost on the surface while flapping his wings. That is when I realized I was missing the activity because I wasn't focusing on what was in front of me. Once I realized my error, I started seeing all the birds again, the dragonflies, the wood chucks, the squirrels, the red-tailed hawks.
Isn't it funny how we can block out what is there in search of some greater find.
I'm looking forward to day 128.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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