Hello Eagle Friends,
Today started out with thunderstorms but by evening the winds had parted the clouds and tamed the blue enough to stay for the night.
At nest 1 Daniels Charlie was sitting centered on the north limb while Daedee flew overhead checking her eaglets. D'ODEE stayed on the west side. The winds didn't budge either eaglet from their places during my short visit today.
While looking ahead I noticed a caterpillar staring back at me from a long grass blade. I think he was a red admiral caterpillar so I moved him over to a nettles plant, which aren't hard to find out in the field so he could eat. I wondered if I didn't knock him off a plant when I put my gear down and that was why I found him on the grass blade. Seeing him reminded me of the hundreds of red admiral butterflies that would sit on me last year where ever I went.
I have only seen a handful of red admiral butterflies this year but instead see hundreds of wood nymph butterflies. I think that's what they are called.
At nest 2 I found Terry Gail up on the south side of her nest. A giant black shadow flew overhead and Terry Gail called to her
mom or dad. I thought maybe she would fly off the nest and follow them, but she didn't. She sat crying out and followed the shadow with her eyes.
At nest 6 I could only see one of the twins clearly perched on the northwest side of the nest.
When I arrived at nest 5 I could see the those two eaglets still trying to share that limited-seating perch. One swipe of the left wing from the perched eaglet and the other would fall backwards and fly down to the nest. This went on for several minutes and I shot numerous shots of the two eaglets who appear to share a close bond, a bond like I watched with Damian and Dorothy, the 2007 nest 1 twins all last year.
As I walked back to my truck I wanted to call John Weiss, and let him know his eagles' eaglets were going to go sometime this next week to meet the wind on their back. Then I decided that I should name that pair of eagles after him and his wife. So I did. John and Debbie.
I'm going to have to get back over to the National Eagle Center to see what if any names guests have come up with for the names of their twins, and the nest 4 eaglet(s).
I found Victory Bell up on his nest at nest 3. I found no visible activity on nest 4. I had the time tonight, and I was thinking I should take that hike back to nest 4, and then a flock of white pelicans flew overhead. I have never seen that many white pelicans flying together. There must have been at least 400 of them as they stretched a mile wide and were flying triple layered.
I thought they were heading to the last marsh, so I drove that way thinking I was going to be closer to nest 4 when I got there.
I had such a strong inkling that I should go there I just couldn't ignore it.
When I got there I didn't spot even the last tail feather of a white pelican. However, I couldn't help but notice the cranky call of the dozen sandhill cranes that were just a hundred yards out, all stepping into the shallows from the protective cover of the tall cattails.
There was a brief stirring as one male chased off another and then a second and when they flew off the waters stood still and I could once again see two images of every bird in every rippled head.
I was just turning to leave when a couple pulled up with their fishing poles in hand. We talked awhile and she told me how terrified of snakes she was. I told her, "You're fishing in a bad spot for someone who is afraid of snakes last week I had four of them go right over my hand out there."
She said, "I stopped to pick up this pretty rock and one came out from underneath it."
"Was there a half buried block by your rock?"
"Yes."
"Yes, that's where the snakes went over my hand."
They told me about another slough I had not found so I'm going to go check that one out when the eagle project is not at peak season for fledging. They said there is a huge nest back there, but then weren't sure if that was the one I know of off by the highway.
Always trust your instincts to follow your story.
I got home and Em was brimming with a huge smile. "I made you a pumpkin pie."
"A pumpkin pie, no, really?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to serve it to you, but I ate all the whip cream."
I'm telling you I have tasted a lot of pumpkin pie, but none as sweet and made with love this one.
I'm looking forward to a second slice tomorrow and day 173.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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