Life in the Nest by Meghan Sparks aired at noon and at 10PM on KTTC. Click here to go to story.
Hello Eagle Friends,
Today was a day of a couple more eaglet milestones, along with one of mine. If you are a new visitor to my blog either by chance, from KTTC airing the Life in the Nest story, or other searches, welcome.
I'd also like to thank KTTC, Meghan Sparks, and Chuck Sibley for their excellent work on this story, their dedication to it, and taking the time--three trips to film for their story on my eagle journey. Words can't even express the gratitude I feel and I believe I speak for the eagles when I say, "Excellent job."
I enjoyed the 64 degree and rising temperature today. The skies were mostly cloudy up, with a chance of sun. I did not find any activity on nest 7 or 8 again.
I moved on to nest 1, Daedee and Dancer's. If perchance you saw the news story, Life on the Nest, this is where they filmed most of the segment, nest 1 and nest 2.
Daedee, the nest 1 female was up on the nest when I arrived at my main post. The post I wrote my first book on the eagles titled, The Eagle Nest Coffee Bar & Cafe. It's also where I typed my second, third, and now forth book while enduring rain and sleet, blizzards and flash flood. This is my place; my Heaven on earth by the eagles.
Daedee was looking around for her mate, The Dancer. The twins were quiet and resting. D'ODEE the younger twin was sleeping on his side with his beak in the air again, but this time he was sandwiched between his mother and the sticks of the nest.
I continued to shoot their images while watching Daedee drift off into an eagle nap, which lasts, on average, about 20 seconds.
Daniels Charlie reached up an waddled up towards his mother, but D'ODEE Brian Michael was cuddled in and not willing to share his warm spot so he jabbed his beak at his older brother.
The two beat their beaks together, and after a couple beak lashings they both settled and turned their heads my direction, ignoring each other.
The orioles, the robins, the flickers all flitted around gathering sticks and nest materials. I love this time of year. Where else on earth does the warblers' song drown out the crickets' chirp of one small insect hidden in the new grasses as a field mouse makes a new "run" or tunnel under the rattling remains of dried leaves on saplings.
I watched as D'ODEE stared out to the east. Then Daedee leaned down to pick something off his chest. D'ODEE struck his mother for doing this. Then he stood up to her staring her for only a second, and at almost her eye level before they both averted their eyes.
Then D'ODEE leaned over and pecked at Daedees' chest. I watched this and knew another milestone was taking place. The eaglets are beginning to show their dominance over their mother, and she will let them to a point, to teach them confidence. Sort of like playing a board game, or running a race with a child and letting them win.
My daughter still asks me while playing Tic Tac Toe, "Mom, did you let me win?"
"No. Of course not."
I "lost" many games, so many that I'm more practiced at losing now than winning
By noon the eaglets were stirring around. There were two red-tailed hawks in the sky sparring and Daedee seemed to watching something on the river. She has a better view now that the Twin Tree tipped in the river.
Then I heard the familiar whine of a chainsaw. I thought about when I worked on the Minnesota Conservation Corps, years ago, many now, how I used to have to sharpen the saws and how even earplugs earphones could not drown out the whine of there teeth cinching bark.
I am guessing the storm knocked down more trees to the north, and the forestry crew will be "whining" their way down stream to cut up the Twin Tree too.
As I looked up, D'ODEE had taken a small twig in his beak and was laying it down on the edge of the nest. Daedee paid no attention. So he picked it up again, brushed it across her face and he laid it down the opposite direction.
This time she watched. The eaglets seem to need a lot of reassurance, too. This seems to be something they need even moreso, between their 5-7 weeks of life. The mother, especially, works closely with her eaglets helping them develop a strong sense of place and confidence in everything they attempt.
I was running short on time so I had to pack up and move on to my other nest sites.
When I sat down in my truck I reached for my notebook and noticed an envelope tucked under my windshield wiper blade. I could read, "Friend Lisa" in cursive on the envelope through the windshield glass.
I reached out and took the letter and opened it. It was from my friends, Dick and Linda from St. Charles, the couple I named the nest 6 eagles after. I was surprised when I read, "You looked great on TV. . . It's good to see you get credit for your work. Keep up the great work Lisa."
I didn't even know the eagle story was going to run on the noon broadcast, so I was surprised to find that out. Then I met them on the road up by my old marsh project.
They wanted to know what nest that was on the broadcast, and I told them nest 1 and 2 is where we filmed.
We talked a few minutes and they headed off back home. I found their act of kindness to be something I never want to take for granted. To take the time to stop and leave a note, a handwritten note at that, well that is like finding a diamond that fell from my setting over and again.
Dick and Linda are diamonds of the valley, and I'm glad I found them.
At nest 2 I found 43 day old Terry Gail up on the nest alone. I am surprised the parents I leaving this eaglet on its own so often.
I didn't find the Marsh 1a or Marsh 1b goose families. There were several geese on their pond in the north, so maybe they moved into the reeds further back.
At nest 6 I saw the eaglets up on the nest they are 25 and 27 days old already. I don't know how much longer I'll get to see their nest either. I may be down to just nest 1 and 2 by next week.
The goose mound 3 mom had her wings stretched out over the ground. I think her gosling's may have finally hatched. I have documented her for 39 days laying on that mound, with no result. The only other thing I can think may have happened is maybe, just maybe, something happened to the first eggs, and she is sitting on new ones?
At nest five the twins were active their two, of course 6 week old eaglets are always wound up and ready to fly up or down, flapping their wings, stretching and dreaming perhaps of their big day of flight.
At nest 3 and 4 I couldn't see any activity on the nest, but the nest 3 female was flying above me. She circled a couple times and then dropped her legs down and glided in landing on her favorite back marsh perch.
I thank God for all the opportunities today. I thank him for his valley of eagles and helping me, daily, to make it back to the woods. I thank you for your support on my project, your notes, emails and letters. I thank you for your prayers.
Thank you to my family and friends and employees who have worked hard and helped me be able to continue my project. God Bless you all.
Thank you again, KTTC for sharing this eagle journey.
I'm looking forward to day 133.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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