Day 129, Friday, 5/16/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

I can't believe it is Friday. This week went fast with all the beautiful weather, and today was the best of the days. It was 60 degrees when I reached the valley and 72 degrees when I left. We had partly cloudy skies but all I concentrated on was the
sun coming back through the clouds against the blue skies.

I found no activity of nest 7. I couldn't, for the first time, see nest 8. The foliage has closed it off until this fall when the leaves drop and I can check it again to see if it has increased in size over the summer.

I moved on to nest 2. I hiked out to my west post with them and found Judy up on the nest with their 40 day old eaglet, Terry Gail.
The shots were some of the best I have taken so far. I stay a good distance back from this nest. I let the eagles decide our boundary. As far in as they fly to me, that is their comfort zone.

As I watched them a pair of morning doves were working on their nest behind me. They diverted my attention just long enough that I missed my still shots of The Mayor, the nest 2 male, flying in with food. Luckily, I had my video camera on and running.

I turned and shot several images of the parents with the eaglet. Judy tore at the food The Mayor brought in. Then there was a
disagreement. For suddenly, The Mayor lifted off the nest, taking the carcass with him. Judy stood there watching him take off with their lunch. She bent down in the nest and picked up little pieces off the carcass and fed those to Terry Gail.

I wondered if the animal was still alive and moving. I wondered if it posed a threat to Judy and their eaglet. I really wondered if The Mayor was going to feed himself first then give them the left overs. I still think that is what Dancer does. Eats the heads off all the fish and brings in the rest for the family.

Up the road a mile I found both goose families Marsh 1a and 1b sitting together with their goslings by their sides. The 1b family still has their two, and the 1a family their 6. I laughed as the lead gosling plopped down on the bank. Then the next gosling came over and laid right next to him, then the third one laid next to the second, and the fourth one came and tipped his beak in and started to lay down. I wondered why they all laid in a circle?

I moved on to find nest mound 3 goose up and down, turning, prepping the nest, pulling in her goose down to the sides, building up the sides of the nest; finally getting up and laying down the other direction. Maybe the sight of every goose on the marsh swimming with babies was enough to make her turn and look at the back side of a drake mallard posed in front of her.

The nest 6 eagle was on the nest, one of the parents, I just couldn't see which one. I only saw one eaglet stirring about.

Nest 5 nest was quiet. So while I waited I focused on the female red-winged blackbird pulling her nest together, sewing it with her beak to form a cup. That is where she'll lay her 3-5 eggs and I'll get to watch and document another red-winged blackbird nest grow before my eyes.

At nest 3 I found the Canada geese families far back on the back side of the marsh. I was more intrigued with this female swallow (above) who was snapping up the little gnats, but turned for a second giving me a "What are you looking at?" pose.

Then a man pulled up, "Nice camera."
"Thanks."
"Come on, get down."
I couldn't help but notice the old dog hop out of his truck.
"What kind of dog is he?" I asked.
"An English setter. He's 10 years old and loves coming fishing with me in the creek."

I asked, "Can I take his picture?"
I shot some shots but none captured his expression as well as the ones above which I simply caption: Dog watching master. Dog with master; still watching master. I told Jeff I'd make some prints and put in my truck or he said I could drop them off in town at Mauer Brothers, that his name is on the trout board there.

Jeff explained everything he needs is right there in that valley. He hunts there, fishes there, and explores all within 15 minutes of his home. I wasn't surprised that he said that for almost everyone I meet has the same experience.

I moved on to nest 1 and found Daedee up on the nest with the twins. D'ODEE Brian Michael was dozing off to sleep. I included the above series of photos as a glimpse into a sleepy eaglets day. D'ODEE tried to stay awake, but he couldn't. He would nod off to sleep, finally he fell over to his side and even Daedee seemed to be laughing at how he was turned on his back with his
beak falling open pointing up to the sky.

Of course, all it took was big brothers' cry to cause him to jump and roll over. He must have been dreaming that dad was coming in with a record-sized fish for as fast as he lept up and looked out the nest.

Every day is a blessing. Make sure you take a moment and thank God for yours' too.

I'm looking forward to day 130.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 128, Thursday, 5/15/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Another sunny day in the valley. It was 59 degrees when I arrived this morning and 72 degrees when I left. The next couple days are supposed to be about the same. I have to add this is the way spring used to be. The last couple years we went from
cold to extreme temperatures.

I decided to cover my other nests first before heading to Daedee and Dancers. I found The Mayor up on the nest with their 39 day old eaglet, Terry Gail. I had barely shot a dozen pictures when I saw Judy flying in. There it was right before me, the family
photo opportunity. Too bad eaglets have the tendency to duck down when parents fly in or off the nest. He's there, right under
mom, who is on the right in the above photo.

The share-a-gosling program going on at the first marsh met some bad luck since yesterday. Both of the goose families were still together, and sharing their goslings, but nest 1b, just can't seem to hold onto their goslings and now only had two goslings. Nest 1a had 6, so we lost one to a predator which probably explains the mix up on the goslings again. I keep wondering why these two families have merged.

At nest 6 I found mom on the nest with the twins, but it is almost impossible to locate that nest now. There were two mergansers pestering the mound 3 goose, who surely must be anxious for her goslings at 34 days of waiting. That, and she had a male wood duck and a couple turtles crawling around by her too.

Then I heard, "Hi Lisa." And looked to see Don Anderson walking up to my truck. He's also an avid wildlife photographer in the valley. "So, what were you so intently shooting yesterday when I passed you?"
"Warblers," he replied, "Let me grab my book."
He showed his portfolio of some very impressive wildlife shots from the valley and surrounding area, Yellowstone, and a some other areas. Then as I turned the page I smiled knowing how proud he must have been of an impressive shot of a warbler, a bright yellow bird snapping at a zillion gnats or mosquitos that were all tack sharp. "Very cool shot. This needs to be in a magazine. I'd send it to Outdoor Photographer, or Minnesota Conservation.

Then he showed me images of his baby owl from his backyard and told me a really neat story about it. You'll have to get that story from Don though, as it is his to share. But I told him, "That is a great story, you should write that up and market that story." So any editors looking for a good great horned owl story call Don Anderson from Rochester, MN.

As we talked Dick, the male from nest 6 flew in with something in his talons. He had two feet full of grasses, too, so it was probably a muskrat or duck or gosling. The shot I'm sharing with you above is Dick flying through the woods to the nest with the food. I just liked the mood of this shot better.

Up ahead I found the nest 5 eaglets up on the nest, and the dad was circling above the marshes eyeing the 6 pack of goslings, who are, amazingly, still together. They are the goslings I posted under mom's wing in the rain the other day.

I couldn't see hardly anything at nest 3 and 4. I'm just too far away with not enough time to get in close. Those nests were only meant to be shot daily showing the environment changing around them, with occasional close in shots.

No activity on nest 7 or 8. I was amazed to find nest 8 so easily today.

When I arrived at nest 1, Dancer was chirping from the Look Out tree perch. "Hey Dancer, it's just me today boy." He let out his soft, "ca-ca, ca-ca." I plopped my gear down at my Eagle Nest Coffee Bar & Cafe post, lifted my camera and shot pictures of
Dancer with the foliage coming in behind him.

This shot represents who he is more than any others I have taken this week of him. The way he appears to be looking away, but I assure you he heard watched my finger press the shutter and he heard every click. He flew over to the nest tree and sat above the eaglets causing them to call up to him in their weepy tones.

Daniels Charlie sits about four inches taller than D'ODEE Brian Michael. I still think D'ODEE has something amiss with his beak on the right side. It puckers a little bit outwards. It doesn't seem to hinder him, but I've never seen an eagle with a kink in its beak. Maybe it is something he'll out grow. Maybe his beak is growing faster than it should.

I enjoyed every minute of my time with the eagles today. Their personalities are so comical at this age. The next couple weeks we'll see so many changes and I will blink again, and they will have grown into their feathers and will be flying in the valley.

The two them seem to enjoy cuddling up to one another. Daniels Charlie is gentle and endearing towards D'ODEE who has such a message in his eyes. I wish I knew their language better. It's a knowingness, a look I've seen a hundred times in pet animals I bought at pet shops, in wild animals that have befriended me and then ate my lunch, in people who speak more words with their eyes than their lips.

I sense his message is good, and maybe I'll understand it more as time moves on.

I'm looking forward to day 129.

I'll see you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 127, Wednesday, 5/14/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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

Day 126, Tuesday, 5/13/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was an exceptional weather day again. It was overcast, with thunderstorms looming in the distant horizon, but a fairly nice 58 degrees with a brisk wind.

Even better than the weather, I had the honor of sharing my day with Photojournalist Chuck Sibley, and Reporter Meghan Sparks from KTTC. They were with me filming our last segment on Daedee and Dancer's nest and my eagle journey. The eagle journey story is airing Monday, 5/19/08 on their 10 PM news.

I covered all my other nests first before meeting up with Chuck and Meghan.
I found no activity on nest 7 or 8. In fact, I don't know if I'll even see nest 8 again. The foliage has blocked almost the entire view now.

On nest 2 I found no activity at first. Then a red-tailed hawk flew off a tree that was less than 50 feet from Terry Gail, the 5 week old eaglet. I feared the worse as I watched white down fall as he flew off.

Then Judy appeared. She landed on the tree trunk and then hopped down the branch backwards into her nest. She began uncovering her eaglet from the grasses she had on top of it. This is the only eagle I have watched doing this covering up her eagles with grasses.

I moved on to find my old marsh project was being remodeled even more today. This is the marsh I did my 580 day documentary, and my Winter Bugs! book (published Dec. 2006), and the summer flood of 2007 washed the marsh away.

I hardly found any geese out with their gosling's this morning. I found the controlled burn goose box family. They were down from 10 to 4 gosling's in under a weeks time. The poor little one's most likely met a savage death.

I could not see only a portion of the white head on the eagle nest 4. Nest 3 eagles were not on their nest, but one was flying over the goose family and I hardly wanted to watch what I feared may take place.

Those parents led their remaining gosling's into the reeds just in time and the eagle moved on.

At nest 5 I could barely see the nest anymore as the foliage has grown in so thick since yesterday.

At nest 6 Dick the father eagle was on the nest with the twins. I still am trying to figure out how much longer there will be room for all three of them up there as the eaglets are already the size of snow geese.

I finished the nests, and was for once in my life going to be on time, not on "Lisa Time" to catch up with Meghan and Chuck from KTTC. As I took the next bend I was thanking God for such a gorgeous day, and the opportunity to tell the eagles story, and praying that he'd somehow have a hand in getting the eagles to appear for their story.

The next thing I knew I slid a little on loose gravel, and noticed the steep pile of gravel going down the center of the road. I was suddenly behind a 20 mph road grader, and back on "Lisa Time."

We met up in town and then drove to Daedee and Dancer's nest 1. We hiked out and I really thought we'd get rained on but the weather held out for us. Maybe they had some connection with God, or another higher power for having a weatherman on staff?

Daedee was on the nest when we arrived at The Eagle Nest Coffee Bar & Cafe post. I kept hoping and looking around wanting Dancer to come in to give them that footage, but he was out somewhere else.

I think Chuck has more good stories than any photojournalist I know. His warm personality and down to earth heart and soul, coupled with Meghan's bright eyes and love for her work made me appreciate all the more, not only my journey today, but thankful that I was blessed to have this experience of working with the best of the best today.

I took them over to the north side and by the time we arrived there, Chuck had cured me of saying, "Look, this or that is over by that tree over there" when there must have seemed like a million of those trees to him.

Daedee was almost posing for the camera. Then when we all least expected it, one wing rose, then two heads, and the eaglets showed up. They bickered for a moment, biting at each other while Daedee watched them.

Then all heads went to the skies. I knew Dancer was somewhere near as the eagles were all watching the south, then the east, then the west.

As we hiked back to the Eagle Nest Coffee Bar & Cafe, Chuck stopped to get one more shot of Daedee up on the nest. "Chuck, get ready!" I called out. "Dancer is coming in right behind you."

Dancer, hardly ever challenged by the winds landed with absolute perfection on his branch, one of several that he uses on the nest tree for his upper viewing of the area and his eaglets. As he landed folding in his 6-7 foot wings span; collapsing with precision the thousands of feathers that lift those wings to his sides.

During that same moment Dancer landed, from The Eagle Nest Coffee Bar & Cafe view we watched The Dancer descend as his life long mate, Daedee unfolding her wings, jumped high clearing two four week old eaglets below and lifted up into those grey skies.

Today, although all were trained to, no one held or read from cue cards, no one shined or primed movie lights, there was no time for someone yelling "Action." However, sometimes we get what we pray for, and this last scene, this closing segment for the eagle story was written, I believe by God alone as a parting gift wrapped in eagles' wings; a mysterious, God-like thank you from the eagles to Chuck and Meghan, KTTC, and their viewers, and of course another ending and parting thoughts for my daily journey.

I'm looking forward to day 127.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 125, Monday, 5/12/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

It was a fine spring day in the valley today. The temperature was 58 degrees when I arrived and 62 degrees when I left. The
skies were hazy and then blue for most of the afternoon.

There was no activity on nest 7 or 8 again.

Em and me hiked out to nest 1 and we found Daedee sitting on the nest with the twins. D'ODEE Brian Michael peeked up a couple times. Daniels Charlie stayed on the east side of the nest. About an hour, Daedee began looking around the nest more frequently, so I knew she would be leaving soon. I told Em to keep her eyes open, Dancer must be near.

Em was my videographer today, and she was really proud of her "footage" of Daedee leaving the nest. "Mom, I suppose you want to know how I knew what "footage" meant?"

I smiled back at her. I knew she understood more than I sometimes give her credit for. Someday, maybe she will be shooting wildlife videos alongside of me. I asked, her, "Would you like to be a wildlife videographer?"
"I would like to," she replied.


Dancer was suddenly in the near distance in pursuit of an immature eagle that had all the markings of Damian Danielle. The oldest twin from 2007. Dancer flew down striking Damian. Damain fell lower at least fifty feet before correcting himself back into flight. Dancer chased him out of the area and then he came back in, looked down on his 2008 twins, and landed on the
tilted twin tree that now stands like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the river.

He is a good father eagle and always on constant guard for his family. As two turkey vultures, then three flew in, he called out at them and then a red-tailed hawk came near but his vocalizations were enough to keep him away too.

We waited until almost 5 p.m. for Daedee to return with food, but we we still had the other nests to cover so we hiked out.

At nest 2 Judy was sitting above 36 day old Terry Gail who was perched sitting tall in the nest.

The goose families were sitting along the shore on the first marsh, and both families still had their same 5 and 4 goslings. I took several images of them, and Em enjoyed seeing them too.

At nest 6 I found so many goslings I could barely keep track. I found nest mound 1 and they still had all 6 of their goslings, goose box 1 had their 5, and both of those families were still staying close together with three other geese who were maybe goslings from one pair or the other from last year?

Maybe a family that lays eggs together, stays together? Or so it seems with the geese in this valley. Nest mound 3 did indeed hatch, and they were swimming just a bit off from the above two families with their seven little goslings.

Nest mound 3 may have hatched their goslings today, or at least some as mom had her wing out over the nest which is a good sign of goslings being shaded.

The nest 6 eagle was on her nest and I'm just not sure how many eaglets she has up there. I was counting white fuzzy circles, and I showed Dave some of the shots and said, "Count them, there are six circles, I think she has the Brady Bunch up there."
Seriously, though, I think she may have triplets, two lumps for each eaglet.

On the north side of the nest 6 marsh there were more goslings. The nest 5 family was doing well, another family of seven newborn goslings which is probably nest box 3s. Two goslings, older maybe 5-6 days old with their parents, six on another bank, and at least five across the road in a puddle and field.

That's a lot of goslings with more expected this week. Then the ducks will start hatching out their ducklings, and before we know it we'll be in the start of summer.

At nest 5 I found one eaglet up on the nest. They are 5 weeks old on this nest now. Well, 37 days and 35 days old. No sign of mom or dad around. The red-winged blackbird male was sitting above the tree where he chatters every day when I stop there.
I think they are a peculiar bird, but I am amazed at how fast their little ones leave the nest.

I think he and his mate have their nest in the shallows on the edge of the marsh. I just haven't tried finding it.

The county line geese were sitting in their usual spot, those are the ones I shot sitting mom's wing in the rain a couple days ago, and there is a newly hatched family, with at least 6 goslings that Em counted from her side of the truck slipping into the pond.

At nest 3 I found no goslings. I only found the same two geese sitting up in their usual evening spot, a couple great blue herons fishing, dozens of red-winged blackbirds, a beaver, and a few coot.

Nest 3 eagle was on their nest, no sign of the eaglets, and the nest 4 eagle was barely visible, but I could see it on their nest.

On our trip backtracking almost all the goslings were up on the road and feeding on the grasses, and eating gravel. The fathers are so careful and will often run out into the road hissing and puffing out their chests at the approach of a vehicle. I try to drive way around them.

It was a great day for photo opportunities. We are supposed to have good weather tomorrow morning with thunderstorms moving in by early afternoon.

I'm looking forward to day 126.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 124, Sunday, 5/11/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's. It was a gorgeous Mother's Day. It was mostly sunny and 56 degrees when we reached the valley this afternoon, but extremely windy. I like a good brisk wind.

I found no activity at nest 7 or 8.

I hiked out to Daedee and Dancer's nest. I found Dancer up with the boys, and later he flew off. There were several turkey vultures diving in and around the nest while I was out there. One came in so close above me, all I got for a shot was four flight feathers filling the viewfinder.

Dancer let out his vocalizations, which eventually brought Daedee back in to the nest and Dancer flew off to fight with a hawk.
I was so busy watching D'ODEE Brian Michael's expressions I saw him literally open his mouth and his eyes grew wide and I thought Daedee was coming in behind me, but he ducked as she landed from the other side of the nest.

The shots above show a tender moment of their relationship. Daedee didn't feed the eaglet for the extra half hour I was there.
She watched the vultures the entire time.

The one shot is taken with about a 3400mm set up, a little grainy, but something I'm experimenting with. I haven't seen both eaglet up at the same time in a couple days. I hope I will tomorrow. The eaglets are growing so fast and I only have another week to two weeks to get some of these "teddy bear" eaglet shots.

We are only two to three weeks from watching them practice their flight jumps. Then the stick dances. The weather is supposed to be nice this next few days so I'm gearing up for some quality time at the nests.

At nest 2 The Mayor was sitting above the nest. 36 day old Terry Gail was down in the nest and not making any appearances for a photographer with a short time slot for picture taking today.

Up on the first marsh we found the two Canada goose families and their two guard geese that alarm the families at the approach of, well, anyone. I was glad to see the families have kept their goslings in order for the first time since they have hatched. The first family still had their 5, and the mom is banded on both legs. The second family was hanging back further
with their four.

I watched the goslings taking turns nibbling on a grass blade that towered over their eight to ten inch height.

At nest 6 I found the twins taking turns stretching their long gray downy wings against their mom or dad that was packed in the nest. They already looked like a tightly packed group of eagles, I don't know how they'll have room to grow in the nest that seems a few feet short of comfort.

Below them I found the goose mound 1, and nest box 1 Canada geese families milling about on the back bank of the marsh.
Good news! We have another hatching. Goose mound 2 hatched. I saw only one little gosling peeking out from mom's partially outstretched wing. I am guessing that see is waiting for the others to hatch before they leave the mound.

That's what I have observed in the past. Like from the nest boxes, the first one born has a long wait to try the waters below.

Nest mound 3 should be hatching by Wednesday. We couldn't find nest box 5 family today. They were probably in the reeds somewhere.

Moving on to nest 5 we stopped and I shot day 28 of the controlled burn area. There was only a solo white pelican swimming along the back marsh. It seemed odd to see a loner. There was zero activity on nest 5. I would think it was an empty nest if I didn't know better. Those eaglets sleep more than any of the eaglets in the valley.

I picked a few flowers for our craft for tonight that I wanted to make with my 92 year old grandma, and 90 year old
grandfather. Some memories to give my daughter of making the flower crafts with her great grandparents.

We moved on to nest 3 and found one of the parents on the nest feeding from the north side. It looked like both eagles were up on nest 4.

I found the goose pair, I'm pretty sure it is the one with the solo gosling. They were laying in their usual resting spot, and the male has a little rust color to his feathers (see the photos on the blog from yesterday or the day before). They had no gosling today, if it was even them.

I didn't find the controlled burn goose box family. We'll see what tomorrow offers for opportunities. I was shooting a few hours later today, and that makes all the difference in who is where, and at what time. That's part of the fun of shooting the same wildlife families each day, you learn their routines, their paths, their schedules and adapt yours to experience their
behaviors.

We finished up and I noticed another morel mushroom boutique had gone up since our arrival in the valley earlier today.
I don't know who to buy my mushrooms from, the north side or the south side of the town of 214 people.

We went to Kentucky Fried Chicken as we promised we would pick that up for my grandparents, for our Mother's Day dinner.
We ordered and when they asked what two sides we wanted Dave ordered and the order taker said, "Sorry we are out of the baked beans, unless, you want to wait about 10-15 minutes."
Dave ordered potato salad instead, and I hoped my grandpa would approve. No one makes potato salad as good as him.
Then I told Dave to order some desserts for everyone. I don't there is just something silly about the way the order taker said, "mmm" that does sound good", when we ordered our parfait desserts for everyone that made me want to send them back.

I didn't have to. We drove all the way to the other side of Rochester only to discover, "Mmm," he must have thought they sounded good--because all we got was the silverware and napkins. It wasn't worth the drive to go all the way back when
dinner was late anyways.

After dinner we cleared the table and we made our wall hangings. Em and grandma had a good time pressing the flowers into the dough. I had my grandpa make one too. He seems to enjoy making an occasional craft. I told him he could give that to mom, (his daughter) when she got back. She'd really think that was special.

The phone rang, and mom called from North Carolina and I wished her a Happy Mother's Day. She told me poppa had been looking forward to us coming over all week.

As we left, he took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and he must have thanked us a thousand times for coming over and having grandma make those crafts, "She really seemed to enjoy that Lisa. You'll have to do it again."
"And again." I replied.

Make your memories as quickly you can for they are like newborn eaglets who are covered in white down today, grey down tomorrow, feathered next time, and flown to bigger skies before you had a chance to write it all down; and almost always before you are ready to say good-bye.

I thank God for all my mom's, my sisters, my daughter's, aunts, grandma's and of course my favorite feathered mother, Daedee the mother of all eagles and all the mom eagles.

I'm looking forward to day 125.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 123, Saturday, 5/10/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today it rained.

It was 50 degrees when I arrived in the valley, and 51 degrees when I left this afternoon in the downpour. Still, rain or shine, it was a day of exceptional experiences limited only by curiosity and desires to explore further into the marshes of the valley and the treasures hidden there.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8, and I wonder if maybe, perhaps, those could be winter feeding platforms? It's just a guess, but something to watch for this late fall when the eagles fly deeper into the wild while the hunters shoot up their nest area for their parties limit on bucks and does.

I hiked out and sat at nest 2 for an hour. Judy was on her north tree perch. The most I saw of 34 day old Terry Gail was a left wing, then the right stretching up in the rain, but never so much as a fuzzy gray head. The Mayor flew in about a half hour later and stopped on the nest, but flew off again.

I moved on to the marsh with the geese, but found none. The mom's probably had their little ones up on a bank somewhere
covering them in the rain.

Further down my outdoor path I came upon hundreds of bluebells, dandelions, little white flowers, purple violets, yellow flowers and not a single morel mushroom. I stopped to photograph the flowers, and I'll stop again and again as I find new blooms. Can anyone really ever have enough photos of the colors and beauty of spring?

At nest 6 Linda was up on the nest with her twins. It's becoming harder and harder to see her in the foliage. I couldn't find any goslings on their marsh either. The geese on mounds 2 and 3 were still sitting. I believe we have a hatching at mound 2. Mom had her wings in a brood position. Today was 32 days.

I packed up to head to nest 5 when I saw two eagles taking swipes at each other coming fast over the bluff and diving down towards me. I only had a chance to grab solo shots of each bird, and the one blurry shot above of Dick, the nest 6 male going after his 2007 eaglet, Badger who was doing his "bait dad but dive to the nest with mom" trick. He almost made it. Linda was letting out horrific vocalizations and somehow Dick raced ahead and under Badger, cutting off his flight plan.

Badger, no fool, flew up the bluff, circled and did his drop from the top of the bluff back, but Dick must have known his game by now and was waiting on another perch, not his usual one and cut him off again.

That was enough for Badger. A moment later he was out chasing the red-tailed hawk of the nest area.

I moved on to find a rose-breasted grosbeak male eating the buds of tree, stretching his short neck across to reach another branch. The buds were greener on that one.

Then I found the pair of sandhill cranes nibbling up minnows or something in the small creek that runs parallel to the river.
The shot I wanted never materialized, was them walking through the bluebells. Instead they turned five feet short of them and headed east for the afternoon.

Nothing new at nest 5. Mom was on her above the nest perch and the twins at 5 weeks and 33 days were out of sight.

I did find a mother goose laying in the grass with her little ones peeking out from under her feathers. The shot above is my favorite. The rain was lightly coming down and the goslings felt the need to be undercover.

Up at nest 3 one of the parents were feeding an eaglet. Nest 4 is almost impossible to even see, other than a speck of a white head which is still visible.

I did find the one gosling still swimming with his mom, who must have a broken wing feather as it was still bent up since yesterday and dad trailed closely behind. In front of them, the controlled burn nest box goose family. They were down 4 goslings since yesterday when I counted and photographed ten.

I don't see any other geese with goslings out there, so I fear the four were eaten, not adopted by a new mom and dad.
I hiked around to the back of the marsh and kept seeing this black shadow running along side me in the swampy, slough beside me. I had no idea what it was. It ran as fast as I was walking, which was not that fast.

Finally, the shadow stopped and peaked out behind some foliage. It was some pheasant sized bird, with a long orange beak,
and it had feathers like a black duck hen, but when it stepped out it looked and ran like a road runner. I did some research looking up wading birds, wetland birds, Minnesota birds, and finally found out it is a virginia rail.

As I drove my route back I found the nest box 1 and mound 1 geese families. Both with their same head counts of goslings. That amazed me that they have not lost any yet, but nest box 1 had five and mound 1 had 6.

At the first marsh I know found both goose families swimming up on the edge of the marsh. The two families have formed their own little colony who appear to be sharing their goslings as equally as possible with nine remaining goslings. The 6 pack family gave one up and now has five, and the other family has the four. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Judy was on her nest brooding Terry Gail on my second pass.

I hiked out to Daedee and Dancer's and found Daedee sitting in the light rain on her Look Out Tree perch. She had her back turned to me and was watching the river, which usually indicates Dancer is down there, but not always. She turned her head back and watched me sit down and then went back to watching the river.

D'ODEE Brian Michael was sitting up in the rain crying out little chirps. The eaglets are big enough now to be left in the light rain. I could see through the stick openings on the nest that he was eating the buds off the branches.

I moved to my north post and sat down, barely getting my video camera out of the bag when I heard "Ca-ca-ca" soft chirps and I knew that meant Dancer was coming in. I flipped it to record and aimed at the nest just in time to get him landing with his fish and filmed D'ODEE popping up like a jack-in-a-box almost with a zealous "What'd you get dad" excitement.

I shot a handful of images of Dancer looking a D'ODEE, such as the shot above. Dancer offered a few bites, but he quickly jumped off the nest and onto the west perch as two eagles came racing in by the nest. He and Daedee vocalized back and forth, and then the eagles left. I wondered if they followed him again?

Daedee came in to brood over the eaglets. The feeding would have to wait until after the downpour subsided.

It was a great day. I came home and Em was all upset that Dave wouldn't buy a teddy bear for me for Mother's Day.
"You would have wanted that, right mom?"
"Of course. I would have loved a teddy bear to go with all my other ones you have of mine."
"See, I told you dad."
"Em you just wanted that teddy bear for yourself."
"No. I wanted it for mom."
"Well, maybe you could both go back and get it for me tomorrow? Then we could share it Em."
"That's what I was thinking. You could have it for Mother's Day, and I could have it the next day. We'd share it."

Tonight we picked out cards for the mom's and I told Em to pick out some little puppies or ponies animals she wanted. That would be the best Mother's Day gift I could have.

I'm looking forward to Day 124.

See you on the journey--

Lisa