Day 122, Friday, 5/9/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

We had a beautiful spring day here in southeast Minnesota. The temperature was 55 degrees when I arrived in the valley and 61
degrees when I left.

While I shot pictures at nest 7, my friend I call, MN DOT, who works for Minnesota Dept. of Transportation stopped by to say hello while on his break. He was telling me of some neat do-it-yourself projects like building your own solar panel out of pop cans, and building a fuel conversion kit.

He said it was about $350 for the kit, or $22 bucks for the book. He's a cool guy that has been a great friend over my four years in the valley. I've never met people as kind as I have down there.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8. On my first stop at nest 2 there was nothing going on there either. Not even a floating feather from a passing eagle.

As I traveled along I found the two goose families on the first marsh up by the shore. The one family was now down to two goslings, and the other goose family adopted one of the first families goslings. We'll see how many are left tomorrow.

I moved on to nest 6 where I found Linda up on the nest with her twins. Dick flew off and he was on a mission. After a lap around the marsh he flew to a tree with bare branches, began his descent, snapped off a branch and flew it back to his nest.
Then he and Linda laid it on the east side of the nest.

All day I wondered if the twins were a little to rambunctious and this was their idea to corral them in so they didn't fall off the nest. Both the eaglets viciously slapped Linda as she fed them. They are the most aggressive 3 week eaglets I have ever seen.
They literally forced her to fly up two times to get out of their strikes at her for food.

The nest 5 goslings were the only ones I found today, down another gosling.

I moved on to nest 5, but all was quiet there too. No sign of any eaglets or the parents.

As I moved to nest 3, I came up on a pair of sandhill cranes. The male was doing a courtship dance so I stopped for some shots.

A nest 3 the male was just leaving the nest and taking his post up on the dead trees on the south end of the marsh. It sure looks like there are twins on that nest too, but I'll have to take some time and hike back there this week.

The nest 4 eagle was on their nest.

Then I saw the controlled burn area nest box goose with her ten little goslings and her mate trailing her. How she managed to
keep all those goslings hidden from my view is amazing. As they swam east, the first geese with goslings, the nest 3 goose family was swimming to the reeds south of the marsh. Sadly, they are down to their last gosling at nine days of age.

These goslings are in the most predator heavy territory in the valley. I don't expect more than 3 goslings to survive to adult from the mom with the ten, and the other pair with only one gosling, I hope this one makes it.

I went back to nest 2 and found 33 day old Terry Gail laying across the top of the nest asleep. The parents were no where that I could see, but that doesn't mean they weren't watching from a tree where the foliage has camouflaged them.

At nest 1 I found Dancer up on the tip of the nest tree when I arrived. He was letting out soft chirps. I sat down and he was
focused on something to the north of us. I couldn't see the eaglets, and I wondered where Daedee was.

Dancer left and went down to the river. I thought he was going to come back with a fish, but he instead appeared to have water
in his beak. He dipped down in the nest and I could see him touching his eaglets through the sticks, but not good enough to show that he was giving them water. Then he lifted his head up with his beak slightly open.

I don't know for sure, but it appeared that he brought them a drink. I have never watched that before. Then Daedee flew in
with a fish. He moved to the north limb. Daedee began feeding the eaglets immediately. She had fish mash all over her beak
when she finished, but I never saw the eaglets today.

I headed back to Rochester as I had to get the bunny ready for show-n-tell.

He was a sure hit, everyone fell in love with his giant furry feet and his lovely mane. Most of the kids had never seen a lionhead
rabbit before, and truly, I have never seen one as handsome as our Jackie.

He stole the show, until the 7 week old, black pug puppy showed up. Then it was a split audience on who was cuter. I don't know if I could even pick, as both were adorable. After school we decided Jackie could come visit my grandparents who enjoyed seeing him. Then I took some pictures of Em with Jackie out by my grandma's red tulips. Those tulips are something
grandma has looked forward to seeing every year.

We picked Dave up and went and visited his parents and we got to meet their newly adopted animal pound dogs. I have to say one is handsome and he is going to give them a run for their time but I think once the puppy in him settles down, he'll make them a wonderful companion dog, the little poodle reminds me of our first poodle, and he adores his new masters.

It was a wonderful day, and I thank God for all the blessings of family and friends.

I'm looking forward to day 123.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 121, Thursday, 5/8/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

It was an exceptional day in the valley today. The weather was a step up from cool, and hung right between almost hot and just right. That and I only found one wood tick trying to climb from my waist, yes all of it, to my back.

I found no activity on nest 7 and none on nest 8. I was actually at nest 1 with full intentions of hiking there first, but I got sidetracked by a strange, wingless, bumble bee look-alike bug that was tugging at a slug in the sand. It was interesting to watch, and eventually he was able to pull the slug out of the sand.

The spring azure butterflies were hatching and flying around with crinkled wings, butterflies so eager to fly after hatching they didn't wait to pump up their wings for their first flights, or, they fell from their perch while pumping out their wings to make them
look like starched and ironed.

They are among my favorite spring butterflies. I also saw my first black swallowtail today, a female.

I decided not to hike out to Daedee and Dancer's but to do my other nests first and then come back and finish with nest 1.

I'm glad I trusted my instincts. I found Judy sitting on the edge of the nest with 32 day old Terry Gail, and the shots, although taken from a distance, were very endearing.

Then I moved on to check on the two Canada geese families on the first marsh. Tragedy took number 7, and left only the 6 pack. The other family still had their 3. I again laughed as I watched them dipping and diving while learning how to take their baths. I chuckled as the third gosling dove under the water, in fact I thought he was snatched by a turtle as he didn't surface right away.

Then up he popped, literally, between his siblings. Then he dove under and did it again. He has the best lungs of any gosling I have ever seen.

I moved on to nest 6 where I found on the nest box 5 family who also have lost one gosling leaving only four.

If they survive another week, they'll likely make it. The mink, the otters, the eagles, the coyotes, turtles, among other predators will take their easy meals when they can get to them.

Linda was up on the nest with the twins. I couldn't see the twins today.

I moved on to nest 5 where I found the two eaglets 33 and 31 days old wobbling back and forth while their mom, who was perched above the nest, looked down on them.

There were two sandhill cranes that were fishing in another marsh. I wondered if they are planning on nest back there? I would love to do a documentary on them raising their little long necks.

On nest 3 I found no activity. Absolutely quiet. Then I heard the piercing cry of an eagle and looked up to find two immature eagles racing after a red tailed hawk who was wrangling a wild four foot snake, at least, in his beak. The problem I could see was the hawk went about his snake hunting all wrong. Normally, they hook them from the head, this hawk snatched the snake from the middle section and the snake was able to twist and strike the hawk.

Maybe the hawk should of given the eagles the snake. I don't know if the snake managed to get away or not, I would doubt it would survive a 500 foot drop however. Of course, I watched flying lizards being catapulted towards unwanted beach guests on a island while at the movie, Nim's Island, so maybe the snake would survive, too.

Nest 4 was up feeding their eaglet(s).

The Canada geese with the three goslings, all of 7 days old already, were doing well.

I stood for awhile photographing a great blue heron in the dried grasses. He had something stuck in his throat and made numerous attempts to shake it out. I wondered if it was a stickleback minnow.

I saved Daedee and Dancer's for last and hiked out with limited time left to shoot images. The light was right. The eagles were resting peacefully by mom, and I finally got what I call my "Ditto" shot.

The one where the eagles sit close to mom, and the sky is blue behind them, the green leaves are coming out, or already grown out like the past few years, and they have their mouths agap from the heat and humidity. The eaglets are adorable in their "teddy bear" gray suits and every year when I see this photo opportunity happen again, and it only happens a few times each year, I think of Daedee sitting their with Ditto, her first eaglet. That's why I call it the "Ditto" shot.

In a week, maybe two, the eagles will already have their feathers coming in. So I pray for good weather this next week. I don't feel I've hardly gotten any shots this year of the eaglets. Today was worth the long wait.

I packed up and headed to Rochester.

I had tea party with Em planned. We came home and made up and cooked our little cookies and drank our tea (Kool-Aid) while reading our Beatrix Potter stories, and after those, our Frog and Toad treasury. Em fell asleep in my arms and then her rabbit curled up next to her and fell asleep. It was a great day. I hope the rabbit had some good sleep as he has a big day at Show-n-Tell tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to day 122.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 120, Wednesday, 5/7/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

It was raining early this morning but by the time I left for the valley it had subsided. I really enjoyed the cloud cover today, much more than the twenty mile detour to get to my project. Tomorrow I'll have to take another route.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8 again. I'm surprised that I'm still able to see both nests with all the leaves coming out. I'll keep watching until they are blocked from my view.

As I hiked out on my 4 year broken with sweat and hard steps trail to Daedee and Dancer's I found someone else had found my trail, too. In fact, they left behind their cardboard wrappers for their recently purchased, brand-spanking new, out of the package camouflage netting.

I'm amazed at the disrespect for the eagles territory. First, pop and beer cans, then candy wrappers, the occasional worm containers, salmon egg jars, but now the cardboard wrappers from camouflage netting, too? This is wrong. I also find it disturbing that someone would spend two hours walking around an eagle nest calling out like a turkey when even I could tell it was a man-made call.

Dancer flew right to where they were as I hiked in. Then he saw me and flew back to the nest tree and let out chirps which were his vocalizations that he was concerned with who ever was there. I have seen it a thousand times. I settled down and set up my camera and shot a few shots of his feathers ruffled, but truly they were because of someone hunting in his area.

Those turkeys are his food source too.

After a half hour passed he slipped away unannounced, like he always does, and in came Daedee with a thud. That thud meant food. I didn't see exactly what is was, but it was red meat of some sort. I saw her lift it across the nest. She fed her hungry eaglets a good portion of whatever it was and then she tucked them under her breast and brooded over them.

The temperature was cooler today, mid 50's, but the winds were strong and I was even a little cold when I left.

I moved on to the goslings on marsh 1. The 6 pack grew to a 7 pack overnight. The other goose family that I believe had five
goslings, now only had three. So I wonder what happened to divide the family and how this other goose family claimed parent rights to the 7th gosling.

I must have shot three dozen pictures of the comical antics of these fluffy yellow and brown-black streaked goslings, who still tripped over their enormous webbed feet, and tipped over while dipping down to take a drink from the marsh.

At nest 2 Judy was on the nest, and I couldn't see Terry Gail.

The American toads were out everywhere, covering the surfaces of the marshes with their trill, their mating call. It's fun to sit back and watch the ripples in the water as one toad swims towards his prized female. I have watched as many as five toads
grouping and stacked five high trying to mate a female.

Nest 6 was on her nest and I could see one eaglet in front of her, but she was covering the second eaglet.

I watched a great snowy egret stabbing fish in the marsh and the goose mound 1 family swimming cautiously past the egret with their 2 or 3 day old goslings. Then I found the nest box 1 family with their 6 little ones. The nest mound 2 and 3 are due to hatch tomorrow and this weekend. I sure hope I'll get to watch one of them hatching live.

That is quite an experience to watch.

Nest box 5 was up on the shore with their few day old goslings hidden under the growing green grass.

Then I came across a man with his bow stretched back, and I couldn't figure out what he was shooting at. He stood over a culvert and aimed and suddenly I saw a two foot sucker or carp leap up and onto the ground. I couldn't understand what fun or challenge that would be to shoot a huge fish like that in knee deep ditch water. The two fish he had caught (I saw both on the ground), had no chance at all. To me it would have been more humane to reach down and pick them up rather than shoot them.

Well, I'm not against fishing, not at all, but I do think all hunted species deserve their sporting chance to escape.

Okay I'll get off my soap box now.

I moved on to nest 5 and found the eagle up on the nest but she flew off after I shot several images to the north. I didn't have enough magnification at my 1/2 mile distance to see what she went after. She's been on that perch every day, so I was beginning to wonder if she ever left it.

Nest 3 and 4 eagles were on their nests.

Then I saw the three 6 day old goslings, who have grown to the size of a grebe, since birth. They were closely following their mom and dad to and from the reeds. Those are dangerous waters for a young gosling.

Good news, the goose box in the controlled burn area was empty. So, the babies hatched. I looked everywhere for them, but
they were well hidden. Maybe it was a good thing since several great snowy egrets were hunting all around their box.

I don't know if they would eat a gosling or not. My guess is yes, they would. After watching that great blue heron stab, pickup, and swallow all in one long, wide bite that giant sucker or carp (check blog about a month back), I don't know why snatching a fist-sized gosling would be rejected.

A smart goose keeps her head bowed to her goslings, constantly vocalizing to them the dangers and highlights of life in the marsh.

I'm looking forward to day 121.

I'll see you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 119, Tuesday, 5/6/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was a scorcher. It was 79 degrees when I left the valley with my newly-reddened skin tones. The thunderstorms didn't start until late afternoon, so I'll deal with those tomorrow. Today was a perfect spring day. Sunny skies, a brisk wind just when
you needed one, and a valley full of singing warblers, and the orioles arrived today with the little purple, creeping charlie flowers.

I found no activity on nest 7, and then I headed straight for nest 6. Linda was up on the nest there, and I do think the nest mound 1 geese have hatched, they just haven't moved off their mound yet. The male was standing beside his female while I was there.

There were white pelicans scattered across several marshes and every day I count it a blessing to see them for I know their departure is unexpected.

I found the nest box 5 geese swimming with their little ones, I guess they only have six, it looked like more yesterday as the little ones swam in and out of their parents. Another pair's geese hatched by them and I enjoyed watching them pass one another.

There appears to be a ritual while passing other geese with goslings. The parents lay their head stretched out on the water, that is a signal to their goslings that they can look at the passing goslings, but they can't play with them. Somehow the babies
know to stay close to their parents.

I moved on to nest 5 and found the mom above the nest with sleeping twins below. I shot a few scenics, and moved on to nest 3 and 4 where I found the backlit nest 4 a scene I wanted to capture. The little green leaves coming out around the nest, and the parent on top with an eaglet to the side was just one moment of millions more that will belong all to that nest. I left thankful for this one above.

Nest 3 mom was laying deep down on the nest or away as I could not see anyone on the nest. I photographed the goose on her box, the controlled burn goose day 23. Then as I was leaving I saw the geese with the three goslings. All had survived their
first four days. I was a little worried when I had not seen them the last couple days.

I met up then with Cy Dodson the journalist from Ron Schara's Minnesota Bound. We went out to nest 1 and spent the morning and first couple hours of the afternoon with Daedee and Dancer.

Daedee was on the nest when we arrived and D'ODEE Brian Michael was sitting next to her in the shade with his mouth open. The temperature was 76 when I left my truck, and it continued to rise while there, another 3 degrees.

The orioles arrived today with their entrancing song. As I was photographing Daedee and D'ODEE, an oriole came in next to them on a branch and Daedee and the baby jolted back at first at his approach and then they watched him feeding on the cottonwood buds on a dangling branch.

I'd have given him an entire bucket of seeds if he would have just broken that dangling branch from my view. That one cuts me out of more shots than you can imagine. Every year more branches dangle down over the nest, making it harder to shoot pictures through the leaves. Of course, it also provides great shade for those little ones which is more important than a shot I can get another day from another angle.

Cy interviewed me for awhile and then a helicopter passing over caught Daedee's attention, which caught mine. I wish I knew what they thought of these flying machines around their nest area. All the eagles watch them attentively, and full of curiosity as the above picture shows.

Daedee flew off and did her around the area search and Dancer finally made his appearance around 13:30. He flew around and both eagles seemed to be watching or fending off something, but all I saw was a red-tailed hawk, who is out there every day. A threat, yes, but not so much that they both come in.

I looked for an immature eagle from last year, but I didn't find one. The twins slept the entire time we were there after those first initial shots. That is just how it is out there. Some days you wait hours in the grueling heat and the muggy air, with ticks crawling up and down your legs, and flies biting at your neck. You kneel down now, but stand later in nettles that burn your knee caps while you kneel and burn your eyes as you stand.

Then an eagle flies by and the whoosing sound of their wings makes you forget all that you fretted over, and you focus only on what flies ahead. That's what the eagles have taught me, and I'm only 119 days into this year's project.

Cy and me hiked out and as we were ready to hit the "dusty trail" up north to nest 2, a man was waiting on the road for us full of questions. I chuckled because I told him in my interview people will do that. They'll come here wanting to know how the eagles are, what they are doing, what happened today; they are curious. Some are too old to hike back, others can't see even with new glasses and binoculars. Some leave letters, others notes of encouragement or thanks.

I told him, just in case that part gets edited out, The folks in the surrounding area, Plainview, Wabasha, Kellogg, Winona, Elba, Altura, St. Charles, Rochester they are some of the most wonderful people you'll ever meet. People who really care about a person, their place and look for hope in every message I bring out. This story is their story too.

I love those people in that valley. They are everything an American Eagle is raised to be.

I'm looking forward to day 120.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 118, Monday, 5/5/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was gorgeous. The air temperature was 52 degrees when I arrived and 72 degrees when I left the valley. It mostly sunny with a light wind. We are supposed to have rain and thunderstorms the rest of the week. Of course, this is Minnesota, and weather changes quickly, or so it seems.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8.

As I moved along my outdoor beat I found two enormous turkey vultures trying to pull meat off a carcass. They are the ugliest birds I have ever seen and I don't even want to know why they were made with that particular look.

I hiked out to nest 1 and found the nest without an eagle. There was a thick smoke in the air, which made it even more difficult for me to breathe while trying to find this chest cold. Then out of the smoke Daedee suddenly appeared and she came in and landed on her nest. Both eaglets jumped up to meet her.

In the shot above she is watching the smoke in the near distance, as her twins look too. The eaglets were beak fighting most of the morning. Dancer came in around noon but without any food. He perched in the Look Out tree and kept his eyes on the smoke, too.

Daedee began feeding the eaglets stacked food that was already on the nest. The eaglets ate all she offered. As I was shooting pictures of Daedee feeding the eaglets, a nuthatch landed in front of her on the nest tree, trying to take a bite food. She watched the little bird, almost impressed with her bravery.


As I drove towards nest 6, I stopped to watch a caterpillar creating a new path in my old 580 day marsh project. The 2007 summer flood destroyed the dike, and all of the upper sand prairie. I guess it is a good thing I stopped there a couple weeks ago and took the pictures of how it was after the flood and winter. Now it's an entirely different landscape again.

I think they should call that piece of land, God's practice canvas. For that is what it has become a place he draws out and sends floods to wash it off, then man to rebuild it.

I moved on to nest 6, and found Linda up on the nest. The first goose mound nest may have hatched. The mother goose had her wings spread out away from her body. I think that may be a sign we have goslings that hatched.

I found the nest box 5 geese with their multiples. I couldn't even count all them as they moved so fast, but there were at least six, possibly eight.

As I was setting up my shot for nest 5 I noticed two big eaglets up on the nest. They are 30 and 28 days old. The mom was above sitting on her perch over the nest. So we have at least nine eaglets this year, but I still have nest 3 and 4 to confirm solo or twin eaglets.

Both nest 3 and 4 were feeding their young when I arrived. The goose on her box, I call her the controlled burn goose, she's been on 22 days now, at least. I expect her little ones will be hatching soon. Such a place though. Full of big snappers, and eagles.

As I headed back I found the two six-packs of goslings on the first marsh. I was watching the father showing the little ones how to bath, and he would dip under the water and come up splashing, and he repeated this several times. Finally, the one little goose, tried imitating him but flipped in the water and sprung water up all over. I enjoyed watching his comical expression.

It was a perfect Minnesota spring day.

I'm looking forward to day 119.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 117, Sunday, 5/4/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was a great weather day in the valley. The skies were partly cloudy, there was a slight wind, but it was low 60s just as predicted.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8 again today.

I hiked out and spent the last couple hours of the afternoon with Daedee and the twins. She was brooding her 23 and 21 day old eaglets when I arrived.

The eaglets were quiet for awhile which gave me an opportunity to practice with my concoction of adapters to make my lens approximately 3200mm with about a four stop loss of light. Which means in plain english: I get in close, the shots are grainy and dark. Of course, the point is I get in close, and perfection has to take a back seat for this documentary.

I gave up on my 65x spotting scope. I think my other lens and adapters work better. The view is very narrow, and I find myself spending too much time trying to locate the subject with all these adapters that should probably never have worked anyways.

Daedee left and perched on the Look Out Tree around the last hour of the afternoon. That is usually a sign that Dancer is near as he usually is the one bringing in the evening meal. The twins perked up and began slapping each other in the beak. From
what I can tell, both appear to be males.

I'm just going off the beak which in four years of watching, has always been longer on the females. Of course there is nothing scientific about that note. It's just something I have observed. So from how it looks from the other eaglets in the years past, I do believe these are both males. That should give a new twist to documenting this nest this year.

Now I get to observe the boy's club rituals and bond and how they differ from a male and female sibling relationship.


I hiked out after the two settled down. I moved on to nest 2 which was quiet. Judy was perched on her favorite tree to the north, and 28 day old Terry Gail, never rose to be photographed for his four week picture.

As I was heading to nest 6, I passed the 2 day old goslings swimming with their parents. All had survived their first night. Maybe these geese are smarter by keeping these little goslings in the ankle deep waters where no turtles would think of
making meals out of goslings, they much prefer the deeper water.

As I was photographing nest 6, which was difficult to shoot at all because of the backlighting, I saw white heads pop up.
Both were backlit by the sun and the 2 week old little eaglets literally glowed in the presence of Linda, their mom, who was sitting watching them on the edge of the nest.

They acted like all little eaglets, slapping each other in the beak, taking turns to rise taller than the other, and flapping their eight inch wings seems an important skill to learn at this age. I am so glad to see twins here. I think the solo eaglets are
lonely once they fledge. Of course, that's just my observation. I think of Badger Dick and Linda's 2007 eaglet, and how he
still comes in by the nest area. Why would he do that if he didn't feel a need to be close to his parents? There are other eaglets to play with.

I moved on to nest 5 and found the adult perched above the nest as has been the case most of this week.

Nest 3 and 4 eagles were on their nests. Nest 3 was feeding their eaglet.

There were a half dozen American coots splashing water diving in for something below the surface.

On my way out I stopped at Judy and The Mayors nest again. Judy was pulling up all the grass bedding to the center of the nest. She sure has a thing with keeping Terry Gail covered in grasses. Of course, that is just one difference I have learned in the parenting skills of each nest.

At three weeks of age she had Terry Gail helping her pull up the soiled grass bedding.


I'm looking forward to day 118.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 116, Saturday, 5/3/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was an exceptionally gorgeous, and unexpected sunny day. I don't know who took our storms, but I for one was
grateful to see the blue skies and the sun again along with temperatures in the low 50s.

I had research to get caught up on this morning so I only had the afternoon to spend with the eagles. Nests 7 and 8, as you probably already have guessed, were empty. However, today a pair of falcons were soaring around near it on the river. I don't think that it's there nest but for a moment I had hoped it was.

I was surprised to find the valley full of spring yellow dandelions. That must mean the morels are popping up by the dozen, and I suspect the woods will be full of mushroom hunters this week and for the next two.

Nest 2s Judy and The Mayor were active in their nest area. 27 day old Terry Gail was asleep, or at least not in a mood to climb around the nest while I was there.

Linda, the nest 6 eagle was on her nest feeding what looks to be only one eaglet. The magical week lays ahead, where the eaglets all double in size and should be more visible. The great blue heron was fishing his hot spot, and all the other geese were still on their mounds or nest boxes. Only nest box 1 has hatched. I just don't know where they have taken their goslings.

The nest 5 eaglet was five days old today and was active up on his nest while one of the parents perched above peering down on him. A lone sandhill crane flew along under the nest and I wondered if it had a nest back there. Almost all the sandhill cranes have moved on.

As I moved on there were numerous little yellow, black and white birds, some kind of warbler or bird that I have yet to identify. They have been here about a week now, and seem to like the marshes, and edges of the woods above the marsh.

Nest 3 and 4 were feeding their eaglets.

I found a new six-pack of goslings trailing their parents through the marsh and up on the land.

When I arrived at Dancer and Daedee's nest, Dancer was up on the nest with Daedee and she had a large chunk of food draped from her beak. I must have arrived as Dancer brought the food in.

I watched her stuffing her little eaglets beaks, but I only could see the eaglets briefly, just barely above the nest today.

It was a great day in the valley and we are supposed to have good weather the next few days.

I'm looking forward to day 117.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 115, Friday, 5/2/08, Year Four Dancer & Daeedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today it stormed. It kinda of went like this: rain, then no rain, a few flashes of lightening, and then the dead silence. The calm before the continuing storm. Then a downpour. However, it was 54 degrees when I arrived in the valley not bad for a rainy day. Somehow, (thank you God) I was able to dodge most of the rain.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8. Both nests were hard to locate because of the dense fog rising on the bluffs.

I hiked out to nest 1 and found Daedee soaked with her feathers plastered back on her head. The twins were quiet and I'm sure
she was enjoying a momentary rest without them begging for food. Even at their young 19 days and 3 weeks of age, they are aggressive and will snap at their parents for food.

Dancer came in about an hour later, but without any food. He came in to watch over them and he did for the entire time I was there. Daedee went to the Look Out Tree to dry off and preen. Meanwhile, I was able to video tape the first eaglet spat. The two of them batted each other in the beak until one retreated.

Once Daedee dried and decided the rains had stopped for awhile, she flew back to the nest and began feeding the eaglets. She lets the eaglets fight off each other showing no preference for one or the other. She feeds who ever makes it there in front of her first. However, she never leaves without feeding both.

The eaglet grabbed at the guts of whatever she was feeding them. Then she leaned over and handed the eaglet a piece of red meat. The eaglet snapped it away from her. I stopped to look at the river and I noticed the Twin Tree was moved.

It went down in the storm last night. I mean literally down, dropped ten feet below into the river. I have been trying to figure out why we are loosing all our land when the river is so far away. The two floods last year and the wind storms have now taken four of their major perching trees, leaving only one, the Look Out Tree as a nearby perch. The twin tree is tilted, and could stay that way for another 20 years, but it won't.

Any future storm blowing 50-60 mph will claim it. The good news is that would create a bridge to the other side, but I would think the DNR would cut it down since people canoeing the river would not have a way around it.

I left and went to nest 2 where I found Judy and The Mayor up on the nest. The Mayor left shortly after Judy's arrival, but I didn't even get a glimpse of 26 day old Terry Gail today.

At nest 6, Linda was on the nest and Dick was perched by her. No doubt that box 1 has hatched. I still can't find the goslings or the parents. The other geese should be hatching out there little ones this weekend.

There were two great blue herons fishing in the rain. The male is a regular, and the new one was an immature heron, maybe only a year old, if even that.

I found the nest 5 eagle fishing his favorite haunt and the picture above reminds me of an eagle looking to the Heavens for guidance. He kept looking up, but I couldn't see anything there. I left asking myself if my faith is so blind that I didn't see anything.

The mate was above the nest perched looking down on the eaglet at nest 5. I shot the area images, like I do every day, and moved on.

Nest 3 and 4 eagles were sitting on their nests. There was an immature eagle close to me watching the marshes and nest 4.

Then as I was going to call it a day, I saw them, three tiny, baseball-sized, yellow goslings. The mom lead them into the dried grasses while the male shadowed her. I wondered all the way home why there were only three? They are in the most dangerous place of all the marshes.

There are no less than 6 eagles back there at any given time, and some of the largest snapping turtles I have ever seen live in those back oxbows and marshes. Little goslings make good turtle snacks, and I wonder if that is why she had only three?

I finished my project, got my gear loaded and started my vehicle. I know more than turned the key in the ignition when a thundering crack and a sudden downpour washed away all the seed matter from my hood. It poured the entire drive home.
We are supposed to get rained on all day tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to day 116.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 114, Thursday, 5/1/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was a full of unexpected shots. It was overcast today but the rain and thunderstorms held off. It was a balmy 62 degrees when I left the valley late this afternoon.

I found no activity on nests 7 or 8 again today. This really didn't surprise me, but for now, I'll keep watching.

I moved on to nest 1 with Daedee and Dancer. Both eagles were vocalizing back and forth as I hiked out, and in that moment I knew something was amiss. I set my gear down, and put my camera and long lens to the sky where I found Damian Danielle circling close to the nest tree. Dancer was on the north side of the nest screaming out at his 2007 immature eagle who was attempting to come to the nest.

Daedee remained in the nest covering the 2008 twins while letting out loud deep calls. Finally, Damian left the nest area and flew up by me. As he was passing me he tilted his head down looking at me. I wonder if he remembers me?

I didn't hike in any closer until Dancer left. I knew when he flew off that would be a signal for Daedee that he felt peace had once again been restored in their nest area, and it was safe for her to begin feeding the eaglets.

My guess is Damain saw Dancer bringing in the food, and merely followed him. The eagles train their eaglets to follow them with the food once they have fledged. I think the "untraining" is a longer process.

Eventually I made it to my north post. I watched as Daedee fed the eaglets. If there were three eaglets, ever, I didn't hear what sounded like a trio of hungry eaglets today. It only sounded like two. I watched as the twins popped up with their tufts of white becoming overgrown with curls of gray down. I wonder what goes through their minds when they reach the nest top and are seeing the world from their view for the first time. It must be incredible.

I moved to the river and that is when Daedee picked up a bird leg, I couldn't identify what kind of bird leg she was eating, maybe a pheasant? I thought it was a turkey at first, but now I'm not sure what it is. She leaned over giving it to her eaglet who didn't know how to swallow it, so she took it back and chewed on it. Suddenly, the eaglet snatched it away from her, but still couldn't figure out how to swallow it. So Daedee took it back and ate it.

I was loading my truck with my gear when a conservation officer I hadn't met before stopped and asked if I'd been turkey hunting. I shook my head, "No, I was just watching the eagles turkey hunting." I gave him an update on the eagle nest and then he had to go.

I moved on to nest 2. There I found 25 day old Terry Gail, up on the nest while climbing around like a one year old child who just discovered how to walk on his legs. He was checking out every corner of that nest.

The Mayor sat on his south branch on the nest tree, watching him. Judy the female eagle arrived shortly thereafter, and landed above the nest on a perch. So I got the first family photo. It appears there is only Terry Gail on this nest, no siblings.
The Mayor flew off and I was shooting images of Judy feeding Terry Gail, and then the eaglet flapping around and crawling all over the nest when my friends, the real Judy and The Mayor pulled up next to me.

"Boy, I wish I had taken your camera you offered," said Donny the Mayor.
"Why, what did you see?"
"A huge moose right in the middle of the road," said Judy.
"That and some black bear." Donny added.

I showed them the first clear shots of Terry Gail and we talked a bit. "We'll we've had a long trip, were almost home and we are tired. Nice seeing you Lisa."
"See you around. Thanks for stopping."

I watched them drive away knowing that in this valley I have found some of the dearest friends in my life.

I moved on to nest 6. There was a great snowy egret fishing near me and a great blue heron across the marsh. Nest box 1 appears to have hatched for I found no goose on the box, or even near it. I didn't find any goslings either, so I don't know the story there, but tomorrow may hold the answers.

Nest 6 eagle was up on the nest brooding their eaglet, who still remains a mystery. Maybe this week I'll get that first chance to see it.

There was a red head drake laying on a mound with a hen black duck. I thought they looked so adorable cuddled up together. None of the other geese have hatched their eggs yet, but the first mound goose stood up and I could see three eggs laying in a bed of white goose down.

At nest 5 I found the eagle up above the nest and I tried to find the eaglet moving around below, but it must have been sleeping.

Nest 3 and 4 eagles were sitting on their nests.

It was a day full of great shots.

I'm looking forward to day 115.

See you on the journey--

Lisa