Day 137, Saturday, 5/24/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today I met up with the valley of the eagles in the afternoon. I wanted to hike out and watch the sunset on nest 3 and get shots of the eaglet as the sun poured its last splashes of light across their nest.

I found no activity on nest 7.

When I arrived at my main eagle nest post at nest 1, I found Daedee sitting off in the north looking back at her twins, and D'ODEE Brian Michael peering down at me.

His feathers have grown another inch since yesterday, and I wonder how long he'll have his mohawk. He cocked his head and watched me photographing him and I'm just amazed at how much the eaglets observe their surroundings and the sounds in it.

I looked over to the robin nest and I saw a baby robin head with a bright orange and yellow beak flailing back and forth, opening and closing its mouth.

I walked over to observe how these babies survived another night, and amazingly, all were doubled in size since yesterday, and were doing well. Gloria let out an alarm and flew down by in a sapling. I took a shot and left.

The babies are too small to even make a peep when they lift their heads, but that will change this week. Mom flew in by the nest and all head shot up. The babies eyes will open up in a couple more days. For now, however, they must use their acute hearing to determine if it's mom or an intruder. Which makes me wonder if the reason they make no peeps until their eyes open, is something God himself invented for their own protection.

I moved on to nest 2 and found 48 day old Terry Gail tossing grasses up, doing a little spring cleaning of the nest. Her mom's fastiduous cleaning has obviously rubbed off on her eaglet.

I was going to leave when my eye caught a black ball in the sky falling like a rock from atop a bluff. Then I realized it was Judy and she had her wings pulled in close for maximum speed and then her feet shot out with a snake or turkey head and neck cinched in her talons. It was bloody or it was red feathers, frankly, I couldn't tell which it was. It was long, about four feet, so I'm leaning towards it being a snake. Maybe even a rattle snake considering she just dropped off a southwest facing bluff off the shale where they are.


I am beginning to wonder where the Marsh 1a and 1b families have gone. Perhaps, I'll have to hike behind the marshes and see if I find them there.

At nest 6 Linda was laying in the nest in a brooding position. I haven't seen that in a few weeks with her, so I was surprised to see her eaglets under her.

Only a few turtles, a couple pair of red-winged blackbirds, and a handful of passing dragonflies could assure me I was on the marsh that held at least a hundred geese, and a couple dozen ducks a few days ago.

When I looked around for any wildlife I found none. Almost all the creatures great and small, seemed to have moved elsewhere, perhaps to a back oxbow but where ever the wetland life I've come to know so well had gone, it was, undoubtably, somewhere out of sight. Only the wind moved stirred the marsh, and left ripples in the grasses.

I moved on to nest 5 and found Poppa, the male red-winged blackbird at his post over the nest and east side of the marsh, his 100 sq. feet. I walked over to their nest and peered down into it. It appears their family, this clutch is complete then with their 3 eggs. 5 days already under their belt, and before we think on it we'll have little ones gaping at the air for a tasty dragonfly nymph, or tent caterpillar.

I found the first tent caterpillar nest today. It was jam-packed with squirming little colored caterpillars. In my experience, two to five will survive out of that entire nest. I've documented these for four years. That's all that makes it. The bot flies will swarm them and eat them alive, as do the ants. Or a wasp will come along and lay her eggs inside and they will hatch and eat the caterpillar inside out. So in my humble opinion, a bird snatching up and eating a caterpillar is much more humane than what the insects will do to the caterpillar should it escape the eyes of a bird.


The twins were up on nest 5 flapping about but it's almost impossible to see them anymore.

I moved on to nest 3 and 4 and stopped to photograph a great blue heron perched in a tree. That seems to be this birds new perch for I have seen it there the last two days late in the afternoons.

I shot pictures of nest 4 but what is the use? It's buried under the leaves now. Nest 3 is still visible at a half mile distance. I hiked out to nest 3. On my way, a beaver slapped it's tail on the water surface and dove under the thick two inch green algae which is covering the entire marsh. There are channels through it where even the adult geese appear to get stuck or tangled in the lily pads and water lotus.

Then I heard a squak and thirteen newly hatched wood duck ducklings stood up on the water and ran. They could, too, because there was so much scum on the water. The mother seemed to realize when I stopped moving I was of no threat. I waited until she and her little ones scrambled into the thick grasses before moving on.

It took me almost a half hour to get to the eagle nest. These eagles don't know me anymore, if they ever did, during that short documentary I did with their eaglet Tookie in 2005. The nest was so small compared to their other nest that collapsed, but they have built it jutting out to the south, which I wonder if they did this because their other nest jutted to the north. Maybe they thought they should try it the other way?

There on top of their well-crafted nest, in a stronger tree, was their long-awaited eaglet. Mom was sitting to the left on the tree, and he sat tall, and looked so regal that his new name fit him as perfectly as he perched.

I sat for an hour and a half watching the golden sun filtering through the stand of saplings, spilling across his nest. The shot I wanted was the sun rushing across his face lighting up his eyes.

Then the sun cast a yellow ball of light on one of the two thick trunks which his nest is secured in. Like a kitten chasing a shadow, this eaglet leaned over and tapped at the trunk where the yellow sun cast it's light.

I had my shot. In fact, I took several. I whispered loud enough that the mother, eagle could hear, and the father eagle flying overhead could hear, and the young buck feeding on the tree limb a hundred feet away could hear when I spoke, "Victory Bell" is your name.

The deer walked towards me into the light and I tilted my camera lens back and forth because I know that makes them curious. The deer came about twenty feet away and stomped it's foot. The mother eagle called out over and over, but then the deer doesn't always listen to the eagle.

She kept trying to tell the deer that it should run. Still the deer walked towards me. Then the eagle flew down just inches above the deers head as a final warning to the deer, but still, the deer walked towards me.

The eagle perched calling out and calling, but the deer walked towards me. I just kept shooting its picture, that look of curiousity and fearless innocence.

When it was just about ten feet from me I made a "WSSP.WSSP." noise. The deer responded back the same but bolted twenty feet back. This regal little buck walked all around me snorting until I left on the last moments of the day.

I'm going to donate a print of Victory Bell to the school to have and keep. Then every time they look at that regal eaglet, they'll be reminded of the name they carefully chose, and remember the story of a pair of eagles who endured much, lost much, waited patiently for a long time but how God was faithful and in the spring of 2008, their long wait was over when Victory Bell, sounded his borning cry announcing his presence for a bright future for Edward and Elaina.

While I shot my last images on my flash card I couldn't help but feel Tookie's presence. The sibling Victory Bell would never know about if I didn't share his life in words and thoughts.

His life ended abruptly, nothing was fair about it. Nothing was right and it has carved a deep hole in my heart, but I promised that eaglet I would make his life known, I would find a way to make his life worth counting. Now, four seasons later, because of his death; his brother and future brothers and sisters will be raised up in a stronger tree, built with sticks of labor and love.

I'm looking forward to day 138.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 136, Friday, 5/23/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was one of the best all week! It was sunny and 72 degrees when we reached the valley this afternoon.

It was honor to present an eagle program on my eagle exhibit for a Rochester school today at The National Eagle Center this morning and afternoon. I had a very important request for the children. I told them the story about nest 3.

Edward and Elaina had lost their nest, it collapsed, and their eaglet, Tookie died.
That was 2005. I told them they parents had rebuilt their nest, in a stronger, bigger tree and this was the first eaglet(s) they have had since 2005.

I told the kids I needed them to think carefully about a name that would represent loss, a long wait, and then the blessing of a new eaglet, possibly eaglets.
They discussed amongst their tables and finally came up with a name so perfect I wish I had thought of it. I trusted the Lord was working mysteriously behind-these-scenes when they gave me their answer, hardly with a pause.

I don't know if any name could ring louder or clearer than the innocence, and "out of the mouths of babes" decision to call the eaglet "Victory" and if there are two Victory & Bell or if only a solo eaglet rules that nest his name shall be Victory Bell."

I was hardly the highlight of this day. Bob Richardson gave a wonderful presentation on his flag collection and the history behind the flags. He is a wonderful educator and if you get a chance to visit The National Eagle Center, stop by and say hello to Bob. Tell him Lisa said he'd have a story for them. Ask him, "Why Minnesota is called the gopher state."

He'll be there watching over his flags, sharing his tales, and if you ask him, he'll probably even share with you the age of some of his flags far exceeding his 76 years of life.

Downstairs the children were given an opportunity to view, up close a live eagle feeding experience. Scott gave a wonderful presentation on the eagles lives, the history of their comeback and taught the children about how they live, what they eat, how they digest their food and then showed the children how they eat by bringing in Columbia, who picked through her northern pike and redhorse fish.

"Yesterday was Chickens and chicks. Sunday is rat day."
I couldn't resist, "What's on the menu tonight?"

We had a wonderful day and I personally want to thank the volunteers and staff and The National Eagle Center for providing an exceptional experience to visitors of all ages.

Em and me went out to do my eagle project and we found most of the nesting eagles and eaglets enjoying some solitude during the late afternoon.

I was hoping to see Victory or Bell, or Victory Bell, but I guess that wasn't in the cards for today. I stopped and had Em running through the dandelions and blowing a million wishes a second into the sky.

Nest 5 eaglets must have been sleeping so I got nest shots. The blackbirds appeared to recognize me and flew up and watched me photograph the controlled burn. Today was day 40 and of course everything has been green and flowering for over 25 days, but it's interesting to me to document a day by experience of a piece of land. I became hooked on that doing my 580 day documentary.

While in the area I checked the documentary red-winged blackbird nest and they have drawn their limit of mouths to feed at the usual 3 egg nest.

As we moved on to nest 6 we passed a pair of Canada geese both sitting so still on a submerged stump it was like looking at a framed print. Of course, now that scene--will become that framed print.

Nest 6 Linda, the female eagle was sitting by her nest. I didn't see their eaglets, Freedom and Soar get up the entire time were there so we moved on.

We were skunked at nest 2 as well. Not even a glimpse of an adult. The Marsh 1a and 1b families were no where in sight, I didn't see any gosling today. That was very strange.

There were turtles sunning on nearly every log, but just pull over and try and photograph one of those before they jump in the water. Try it. You may be surprised to learn how fast a turtle really moves.

We hiked out to nest 1 and found Dancer sitting on The Look Out tree perch. Little soft chirps told me he was aware we were there. The twins were up. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. In fact, unless I had been there and photographed it with camera I may not have believed any one.

There right before our eyes was two eaglets, Daniels Charlie to the left and D'ODEE Brian Michael to the right. Both staring back and Em and me. I immediately began to film them and turned the video over to Em. I shot their images, one after another before D'ODEE turned and gave me a profile shot of his mohawk.

His feathers were standing straight up and down running from the tip of his head to the base of his neck. The reason this so special to me is it was two years ago I had that same experience with the 2006 twins.

I arrived, asking myself how on earth was I going to distinguish which twin was which?
That day, back in 2006, I looked through my tank lens and saw David Roger Kraig wedged next to Donny Paul, the older twin staring back at me with his mohawk made of feathers, just like D'ODEE.

I have already discovered the slight difference in the width of their beaks and was using that as my guide, not that I won't mix them up once in a while, but with 98% accuracy I can name those eaglets off their beaks, their eyes, their faces and their personalities.

I wonder how long D'ODEE will have his new look. This is a perfect example of why I go out each day. Every single day, there is something new. He didn't have those feathers sticking up yesterday.

The twins ducked back down in the nest. Dancer flew through the area and perched on the river somewhere and that's when I noticed the robin again.

He was sitting there the other day so I walked over and found they had four little babies, I would guess 3 days old at the most, curled up together head over back in the softball sized nest. Oddly, they built this nest only two feet off the ground, and used grasss, but no mud. If they did use mud it was so minimal that Mr. Clean would be out of business.

I have never seen a robin nest built like this. Em wanted to name them so the father had been named Donald. The mother a lighter shade of dad, is Gloria. The robin babies, are: Todd, Mischief, Bailey, Gin Jen.

Then we made up a silly riddle and song about Gin Jen. Em seems to like these silly songs. We have about four or five now we sing and keep adding verses as we go along.

Suddenly we heard, "Terry. Terry. Terry" and Em said, "Mom, Martha is calling you."
Martha is our catbird that has faithfully returned with the warblers, the robins, and the orioles along with the eagles each spring. Martha has become quite a wild bird friend over the years, coming up by us when we arrive waiting for her peanut butter bread treat.

Martha and her mate were sitting behind us and Em named him, "Teeco."

Today was a day I am so thankful for. A day full of unexpected blessings.

I'm looking forward to day 137.

See you on the journey.

Day 135, Thursday, 5/22/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Dear Eagle Friends,

It was once again a gorgeous day in the valley. It was sunny and 72 degrees when I arrived in the valley of eagles.

There was no activity on nest 7. Nest 8 was buried behind leaves.

I hiked out to Dancer and Daedee's nest first. I found Daedee sitting with the twins when I arrived. Daniel's Charlie was sitting opposite from D'ODEE Brian Michael for most of the time I was there.

I moved over to the north side of the nest hoping to get a better shot, and found D'ODEE, who never seems to miss his opportunities, had moved into the shade under his mom.

Two red-tailed hawks were pair hunting the valley. I didn't like how close they were coming in by the eagle nest, apparently, neither did Daedee. She was watching them like a "hawk". (Sorry, you have to give me that one.)

I stayed until almost 4PM and moved on to nest 2. The Mayor was sitting by the nest tree watching 46 day old Terry Gail who was well shaded by the tree trunk. Terry Gail is nearly covered in all feathers now.

The Marsh 1a and Marsh 1b goose families were not anywhere that I could see them.
So I moved on to nest 6.

I found a mother wood duck sitting in the nest mound 2 goose mound. I was laughing as her little ducks climbed up on her back and rolled off. They had no balance--just huge feet that they were still trying to figure out how to maneuver.

Then I saw two eagles fast approaching. The one rolled the other eagle in the sky. I thought at first it was Badger the nest 6, 2007 eaglet, but it was another adult eagle. I then wondered if it was Judy from nest 2?

The two eagles sparred and then Linda flew back to her perch by her nest. The twins were still sleeping, or at least not hopping all over the nest.

A Canada goose family of eight with their gosling's, ran across the road in front of me and I took a couple shots of their gosling's that are already should high.

Traveling down the road I saw a black butterfly flapping and falling backwards. I stopped to help him, but found it was a her. A female black swallowtail who apparently had been hit on the road by a vehicle.

I brought her home to help her feed overnight, and I'll release her tomorrow if she can fly. She wouldn't be the first butterfly we took in and fed.

At nest 5 the two female red-winged blackbirds flew to the tree by their male when I stopped. I went over to check their nest and they had laid their 3rd egg. I don't know if they'll lay a fourth, but it wouldn't be unusual if they did.

I could see the twins bopping around on their nest but they are so hidden in foliage I had to wait until the wind blew, parting the leaves on the tree.

At nest 3 I could see one eaglet up on the north side of the nest, and I think maybe there is a twin. Jim from the DNR stopped and we were talking about this nest. It is confirmed that this is Tookie's parent's new nest.

Tookie was the very first eaglet I was documenting, that was the nest that collapsed and he died. This is the first eaglet this pair has had, unless someone else can tell me different, everyone I have talked to agrees this is the first eaglet or eaglets since Tookie's death.

I couldn't see anything on nest 4.

As I traveled back I saw a white pelican on the marsh and one great snowy egret.

It was a wonderful day and I thank you Lord again, for the eagles, for the valley, for the flowers and for the dear people in that valley and surrounding area.

I'm looking forward to day 136.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 134, Wednesday, 5/21/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

This was a beautiful spring day. The flowers are blooming everywhere and the birds are making their nests, laying their eggs, and people are finally out sight-seeing, observing nature, hunting, fishing. The valley is once again full of explorers and that is so wonderful to see. It was sunny again with blue skies and 65 degree temperatures.

There was no activity on nest 7 or 8 today.

I hiked out to nest 2 and sat with Judy and The Mayor for about an hour, but Terry Gail never lifted up. The Mayor was on the nest tree when I arrived, and Judy came in not too long after.

I didn't find the Marsh 1a and Marsh 1b goose families today.

At nest 6 I found Linda up on her perch watching the nest from the east, and when the twins started leaning over the nest watching her, she flew back in to sit with them.

I didn't find the goose mound 3 family but I'm trusting they have found a safe refuge somewhere on the marsh and its two foot tall and growing, grasses. I found who I believe are the nest 5 goslings. 6 plump, well-fed goslings who have tripled in size these past three weeks. There were two other goose families with week old to two week old gosling's on the marsh too.

At nest 5 I was surprised to be met by two female red-winged blackbirds as well as the male who always sits above me on his tree branch. I suppose he has a good view from that view point. I went out to their nest and found they mother, which ever one it was, laid a second egg.

The twins were barely visible on nest 5. I have a school group presentation coming up and I think I'll ask the kids to give the nest 3 or 5 eaglets names. Maybe they can draw a picture of them, too?


I was surprised to find 8 great snowy egrets all fishing in a relatively small area of a marsh. One would land, then another fly over him and land next to him and so it went all the while I was there. I never saw a single bird catch anything either. Maybe its better fishing when you fish alone?

At nest 3 the mom or dad was on the nest facing out and I could see one nameless eaglet. I couldn't see much on nest 4.

There was a great blue heron fishing near me so I stopped to photograph him. Then I spotted a sandhill crane walking through some flood brush. I don't know how those birds can glide through any terrain without stumbling.

I saved nest 1 for last and hiked out to find Daedee up on the nest with the twins but she was deep in the nest almost like she was during incubation. Dancer was sitting on the north limb, but something in the north wood captured his attention and he flew off calling out little chirps.

I waited and waited. Then I looked around to see how the robins were coming on their nest. I looked around some more and waited. Finally, about ten minutes before I had to leave, D'ODEE lifted up his darling little head and I was able to capture a couple shots of him.

Then he dipped down in the nest, popped back up, then down again. That's when I realized that he was playing with his sticks again. He was building a nest much like a child playing with Lincoln Logs (TM). After a few minutes Daedee leaned forward
and took away his stick and laid it on her side. I don't blame her. I watched D'ODEE ram into her head two or three times before she took it away.

It was a wonderful day in the valley. I thank God for completing my first full journal today on this years journey.

I'll be starting a new page tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to day 135.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 133, Tuesday, 5/20/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

I decided to do my project this afternoon into the evening so Em could come with me after school. The skies were blue with some clouds and the temperature was 64 degrees when we arrived.

We found no activity on nest 7 or 8.

I stopped at nest 2 only to find Terry Gail deep inside the nest with only the tip of the head exposed. I didn't see the parents on any of their usual perches so I moved on.

At nest 6, the twins were up on the nest. I decided Em could name them only after finding her drawing book and inside it she drew out two eagles and colored them red white and blue. They were so striking I hardly noticed the names she gave them, Freedom and Soar.

So I asked her after finding this book open face on her desk, "Em, these are so unique and you have done such a beautiful job on them, I was wondering if you would like to name a set of the eaglets?"

Today she asked, "Mom, is the nest I get to name the eaglets?"
"Yes. This is the one."
I gave her the honor of naming two eaglets, Freedom and Soar. As she did, the father flew in with a clump of grasses and food for his, almost, four week old eaglets.

Em's drawings will be in the book, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles, and I may post them here, too, with her permission.

At nest 5 the twins were deep in the nest so I didn't see only the tops of their wings. However, the red winged blackbird pair I have been documenting there was all over, "Chk, che-che-che-chk." I knew that meant they must have laid their eggs.

I went over to peek in their nest, it's so close to the ground that even a frog may eat a young bird, given the opportunity. Sure enough, with both parents watching me ten feet away, not diving at me, not throwing a fit--because they know me after a month of seeing them daily. I saw one light aqua colored egg with chocolate drizzled markings on it.

One egg today, probably another tomorrow. I'm guessing they'll lay 3.

Up ahead there were three great snowy egrets fishing the pond edges and as I shot pictures of one flying over to a better spot, a white pelican drifted in and landed.

At nest 3 and 4 the eagles were off the nest and I couldn't see the little ones. I did however, find the controlled burn goose box family and they were down to only two gosling's.

Em and me stopped by a bluff covered in purple flowers, red columbine, and yellow dandelions. She looked so pretty in her spring dress that if I didn't stop and take pictures of her I would forever regret it.

As I backtracked, I found a large brown and white bird flying straight across the grassland by Judy and The Mayor's nest. I knew it was Damian Danielle by his yellow triangle on his beak.

The nest 2 eagles were biting at him and vocalizing their immediate demands that he leave at once. They flew him out and the picture above is shot with them about 1200 feet in the air.

I mention that because it started out at about 50 feet and they just kept rising until they were merely specks in the sky.

It was no surprise to me at all to find The Dancer perched on his guard post on the nest tree. Daedee was brooding over the twins. I can only guess that Damian had been here first, prior to visiting Judy and The Mayor's nest area. He was still about 500 feet from their nest, and I don't think he intended to stir them up.

This is the place the DNR laid out the deer carcasses all winter, and I think he was just coming in looking to see if food had "magically" appeared since his last pass.
You can't blame an eaglet for being trained to go to the food sources. Both his old nest, and now where the food lot had been all during his first winter.

After almost an hour of waiting, Daniels Charlie stretched up and flapped his wings, turned for one shot, and ducked back down in the nest.

Dancer came in and called out and he was circling something on the river bank. I never saw what it was, but we left shortly thereafter.

It was great to see Em continue working with the video camera. She is really trying hard to learn to pan and trying to capture an eagle in flight with the camera on the tripod is really a challenge left to the pro's. I can barely even do it. That's why I shoot almost any eagle footage in flight, off the tripods.

It was one of those days I've pressed more memories than wildflowers into my heart. I hope someday when Em turns the pages of our past, she'll pause at the purple flowers and remember our day 133, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles.

I'm looking forward to day 134.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 132, Monday, 5/19/08 Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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

Day 131, Sunday, 5/18/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was an a gorgeous day in the valley, night too. It was mid 60s when I arrived late this afternoon. The sun was out and
the threat of a storm no where to be found.

I found no activity on nest 7 or 8.

I hiked out to Daedee and Dancer's nest area and when I arrived, I found Daedee facing the west staring towards the sun. The early evening, golden light spilled across her light yellow eyes and made them glow like tiny Christmas lights until she turned head tipped her head into her nest.

D'ODEE Brian Michael was rising from beneath her breast and Daniels Charlie from the west side of the nest. D'ODEE and Daniel
tapped their beaks against each others and both rose up to find they were of equal height. With that proven, Daniel Charlie slinked back down and D'ODEE cuddled into his mother.

Everyone, including me, was watching the skies for The Dancer, Daedee's mate of at least 8 years. I was hoping to catch the evening feeding, but I think I missed it, or it wasn't going to happen until sunset. I hiked around to my north post hoping to catch a better glimpse of the twins, but they were already sleeping which convinced me even more that I'd missed the feeding and that is why I saw Dancer soaring above the nest tree when I left my truck.

I snapped off a few shots, but something felt off, something looked different, but I couldn't figure it out until I got up and headed toward the river. I had only taken two steps to the east when I saw a doe on the other side of the river sniffing the cottonwood tree leaves. Then another deer appeared and they walked towards me, but the third deer was the one who exposed my cover.

In a blink all three had lept to the top of the river bank and disappeared into the woods.

Then I watched a morning dove fly in and land on the trees roots protruding into the air. Who needs branches to perch on when it seems like more trees, in this valley anyways, live a good life and grow tall only to be toppled by the winds; leaving their branches clinging to the ground while their roots reach for the sky.

I knew another good wind would take the Twin Tree, I just hated that I knew it was going to happen.

When I left last night it was tipped down and ready to go. It was tipping over in the 50-60 mph winds that came through while I was sitting there last night. The winds snapped off parts of the Riverside North tree, too.

So I am, once again, glad I trusted my instinct to go photograph all the trees around and Daedee and Dancer's last night, during and after the storm. For now Riverside North has been reduced to a trunk with a few branches, and the Twin Tree, the closest tree to Daedee and Dancer's nest, and first tree the eaglets used to landed on, and their parents while coaxing their eaglets off the nest. The eaglets goal tree, the one to reach after their first flight no longer has a future here as a tree.

It toppled across the river, almost as I thought it would. There it was laying across the river at it's deepest point, which is about ten to twelve feet there, and the green leaves were still blowing in the wind, for they didn't know their life had been moved to the sandbar on the other side of the river.

In fact, I don't know how many trees every get to experience life on both sides of the river.

The 2008 eaglets will have to work harder to reach a good perch, on their first landing tree. Of course, in my lifes' experience, you don't know it's hard if you never had the easy or close branch to land on to begin with. You can't miss what you have never experienced. I suppose it will make these eaglets stronger fliers, and bigger thinkers. Of course, they will never know they missed an easy perch that their siblings before them all had practiced their first flights on.

I stopped and photographed the fallen tree and then I turned towards Daedee and Dancer's nest tree. Their tree is what I would now call "threatened."

All the windbreak trees grew up from seeds and protected this eagle nest tree all these years and now they have all served their purpose, and in the last four years almost all have fallen around the nest tree; exposing the core tree. The nest tree with its cracked trunk. The edge of the river creeps in closer every day, swallowing more and more of the riverbank as if it wants to give its water to the roots of the nest tree.

I moved on to nest 2. The Mayor was sitting above the nest looking down at 42 day old Terry Gail who remained out of my view. As I turned to grab my video camera, Judy flew in and exchanged nest duty with her mate.

I could hear Terry Gail crying out, but I never saw her. I loved how the sunlight came across Judy's face making it glow.
This is my favorite hour for picture taking.

I moved on to find the 8 gosling's who shared the four parents. I don't think the geese even know their own gosling's. The 1a family had five then they all merged splitting them 4/4. I laughed as the 1a mom honked and the gosling high-tailed it, flapping their three inch wings as they ran. The sun back lit them and I shot a few more frames and then just stopped to enjoy their beauty.

At nest 6 I found the goose mound 3 mom . . . still sitting. 38 days today. All the other gosling's will have feather's before her gosling's hatch, if they hatch.

Linda, the nest 6 female was sitting off to the east of her nest. I could see, barely, the twins walking around the top of the nest. They are like big chickens at this stage and I never tire looking at them. The other goose families had their little ones up on the grasses eating as I passed them.

At nest 5 the twins were siting up with their backs to me, facing the east. They are 6 weeks old already and will be fledging sometime during the next 6 weeks or less. The sun was going down quickly so I moved on to nest 3 and 4 so I could get some shots before it was dark.

The nest 3 eagle was sitting below its' nest watching the marsh. I could barely see the eagle on nest 4. My shooting was interrupted by an abrupt splash.

There was a beaver in the marsh in front of me. He slapped his tail and dove underneath the water before I could lift my camera. There was a great blue heron who was fishing in the shallows, red-winged blackbirds chattering, and the chorus of American toads with a handful of bull frogs in the background frogs calling out, "jug-jug-jug-a-rum," and all this noise, along with the sweet scent of violets and flowers filled the cool air with the sounds and smells of spring. A zillion gnats swarmed the ponds edge and as I stared into their swarm I could, for a moment close my eyes and be transported back to a similar place in time.

I could remember sitting in the boat with my dad as the sun set beyond the Boy Scout camp, and the sounds of dusk claimed ownership of the next several hours on the shores of Steamboat Lake while a daughter and father fished by the moons' light, and a little green light that worked--some of the time.

However, this time when I opened my eyes dad wasn't turning off the Evinrude or Johnson, or the electric trolling motor. Nor was he in a boat on the lake, smiling back from under his black and white RYBA hat, and with his sunglasses now hung on his shirt pocket. This time as I opened my eyes there was an eagle flying through the rising full moon over the marsh.

Then again, they say, and I keep rewriting it, eagles are messengers of Heaven; and for those few moments as I watched a solo eagle fly across my path I was as much with my dad in Heaven as I ever was, on any of those boat rides we shared on Steamboat Lake.

I'm looking forward to Day 132.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Tune into KTTC 10 PM tomorrow night for the eagle journey.

Day 130, Saturday, 5/17/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

Hello Eagle Friends,

I just finished my daily beat a couple hours ago, had a quick bite for dinner, and I'm still working on photos.
Today I filled almost 4 gigabytes of eagle and marsh life images. I was never short for subjects considering the
weather blew me in new directions the entire day.

It was low 60's when I arrived early afternoon and mostly sunny. Then as the winds blew the clouds became thick;
dressed serriptiouly like June tiger lilies and May crab apple blossoms. It had become obviously clear that a storm was now inevitable.

On my way to the eagle nests I found my red fox friend crouching in the grasses. He sauntered up the bluff and watched me from about a hundred yards through the thick of the woods. The shot I posted is my favorite of the dozen or so I took.

I decided to cover nests 2-8 first, and save Daedee and Dancer's nest for last. I didn't want to feel hurried to complete their nest with a huge storm coming in. I wanted to be there at their nest when the storm hit. I keep hoping I'll be there for a rainbow, but in four years it hasn't happened yet.

I found no activity on nest 7 and somehow, maybe it was the way the sun lit the bluff, but I found nest 8 again today. There was no activity on it.

I moved on to nest 2 and found nothing 41 day old Terry Gail waiting for food.

The goose families on the first marsh were deep in the reeds so I didn't see them today.

When I reached nest 6 I found Linda right away sitting backlit from the sun that broke out of the clouds for only a few minutes.
The twins must have been asleep on the nest for I didn't see them at all. My attention was on the goose mound 3 goose. My heart just goes out to her. She's been sitting for 35 or 36 days, and still has no goslings.

She got up three times and checked them and pulled her down and grasses close up to her sides. Maybe she hears one peeping in the eggs. Maybe I had the timing all wrong. Maybe she's been sitting, but maybe she didn't lay for a week after she began sitting. Maybe tomorrow I'll arrive and she'll be gone with a view of crumpled ivory egg shells left for proof of the long wait.

The goose families were all on the north side of the marsh letting their little ones nibble on the long green blades of grasses.
There are four or families there all with 6-7 goslings, and nest box 5 has their little one up by the dandelions. I love this shot of the mother goose above tripping over her gosling, who at one time or another during the day always seem to be, always underfoot.

My luck ran out at nest 5. The rain came down, not too heavily, just a shirt soaker rain. I could see the twins up on the nest, but I can't see if mom is up on her perch above them anymore. The red-winged blackbirds were courting, and I would guess we'll have eggs in that new nest by Wednesday.

I moved on to nest 3 and 4. I found the goose family with the solo gosling. Mom's wing feather still bent at a 90 degree angle straight up. Two eagles were in the air. One was a nest 4 eagle and I only know that because that's where he flew back after soaring and hunting around nest 3's nest.

I parked and felt like walking to the back of the marsh. Like there would be something there I needed to find, like some puzzle piece for today's tapestry of surprise visitors and unexpected blessings.

I hiked around to the back and stopped. I asked in prayer, "You wanted me to hike all the way back here and for what? All I see is a dandelion that has gone to seed."

Sometimes there is a silence that surpasses any logical thought at all and I realized in my questioning I had my found my answer to be that exact subject. One dandelion that had gone to seed. So I bent down and photographed that dandelion that had gone to seed. I was photographing that when I felt the Lord whisper to me that some flowers need not bloom to go to seed. I wasn't sure why I was intrigued with taking pictures of it, not until I looked to my right and noticed another dandelion with white tufts busting from the side, but the rest of the flower was never going to open.

I found a lot of wisdom in that example. Sometimes I feel like that dandelion; always busting at the seam, but never really blooming. As I walked back to my truck I noticed how the ground was dried and cracked, and up from the cracks were dandelions growing and flowering. I felt the words put in my heart, "A weed will always bloom up if given even a crack."
Then I noticed out of the hundreds of dandelions growing from cracks that I could have stopped at, I didn't, I had felt the one I photographed was the "one."

I smiled as I leaned down to pick up the dried exoskeleton of a dragonfly nymph. I immediately thought of my story, Year 2000: The Year of The Dragonfly. I thought about what I wrote in that story. I thought about how the dragonfly in the end had to fly on one set of wings. I knew that I knew, that from today forward, I was no longer like that dragonfly, living as a bottom-feeder in the scum of life; but in that moment I knew it was time for me to fly, too shedding off the old skin for the new.

As I headed back to nest 1, I stopped to take some shots of Judy feeding 41 day old Terry Gail. As I shot her images something happened I least expected. I knew the eaglet reached another milestone as I photographed her standing all the way up on her legs for the first time, eyeball to eyeball to her mom.

The eaglets walk around hunched until they reach 5-6 weeks of age. Then one day, like today, they are raised up. I guess I'll say it like this, "As one was lifted, two were raised."

Then I saw him, the red tailed hawk perched above the tree that I said looked like an eagle made of wood. Somewhere back in my blog is the book cover, "The Spirt Trees of Whitewater" and there is an immature eagle sitting in that eagle-shaped tree.
I couldn't help but notice however, now with the red-tailed hawk perched above how much it looked like a red-tailed hawk
complete with a white-washed underside to match the coloration of the hawk above.

The two birds I will leave this earth flying me to Heaven are the eagle and the red-tailed hawk. My two spirit birds. So know you know why this book will have the eagle on the front and the hawk on the back.

As I hiked out to Daedee and Dancer's nest evening was fast approaching, and the skies were settled and blue again. Daedee was sitting contently on the nest facing the sun going down. The twins made a quick appearance, bit at each others beaks and ducked back down in the nest.

I waited for over an hour for the twins to lift again, but even then it was just a quick peak out and they dropped back into the nest. Dancer came flying in calling an alert call. I wasn't sure what he had seen or why the drama. Then he flew off to the north.

Suddenly, the winds began to howl. I thought at first it was a loud airplane that would come over the bluff any second. I was wrong. The skies turned to charcoal gray and were marbled with black and the winds blew furiously bending the 3 foot grasses back to their roots.

The winds blew bending the nest tree over and I literally felt I was there to pray for that tree and those eagles. I saw the panic in Daedee's eyes as she leaned forward over D'ODEE Brian Michael who decided to take a moment and exercise his wings in the wind. I think Daedee and I were both thinking the same thing as that silly 4 week old, almost 5 weeks old, lifted up and almost blew out of the nest.

Moral of that story is: Unless you are feathered don't put your sail to the wind.

Daedee forced herself over on her anxious-to-fly eaglet. He mimics his dad by throwing his head back and opening his beak, but still the sound doesn't come out like his parents. He is not ready to fly like his dad yet either.

I was convinced that Dancer came in to tell Daedee of the storm.

The winds whipped around me and I didn't want to watch all my gear blow off like it did last year in the 50-60mph winds.
So I stuffed all my gear into my black bag and nestled it into the plants under the log where I was sitting. I was down to only a few minutes of tape and I used that up quickly as the winds blew out the microphone and the nest tree tilted to the right.

The Twin tree tipped even more in the wind, and one more good storm and it'll be laying across the river. The Twin tree didn't matter right now. I had enough to think on watching Daedee trying to keep her eaglets in the nest as the tree blew back and forth. The buds of the cottonwood tree pelted me in the eyes for staring and I kept looking for a tornado to drop with the howls of these winds I was sure that would be next.

Then the rain fell hard but the shower only lasted a few minutes. Then a perfect calm. I walked all around to all my eagle posts shooting pictures of the mysterious looking clouds that followed me from post to post. I decided to shoot pictures of all the eagles perching trees, before we loose anymore, and I thought I could sell those photos as a way to fund the project.

I stayed until dusk waiting for the sun to hit the trees with just a bit of golden light. Dancer spoke to the winds and calmed them. I have heard that unless you know peace inside; you can't speak to the winds and expect them to listen. I had just never seen an eagle speak to the winds and calm them before.

As I hiked out the darkness of evening filled in my steps and a barred owl called out, "who, who, who, wha."

I'm looking forward to day 131.

See you on the journey.

Lisa

Remember KTTC is airing this eagle journey on 5/19/08 10PM news.
*Also, I want to welcome our new Lisa's Walk The Talk Show affiliate station, KOHI Columbia County, Oregon! Lisa's Walk The Talk Show will be broadcast on KOHI M-F, 3-4 PM.