Day 76, Monday, 3/24/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was another wonderful day in the valley with lots of activity. The winds were strong but the air temperature was 37 degrees when I arrived with partly sunny skies.

I hiked out to nest 1 eagle post and found Daedee sitting on her nest, peering at me through the openings in their nest of sticks. I photographed some signs of spring, looked up and down the valley numerous times, but saw no activity.

However, the moment I turned to hike out, and eaglet flew in and tried to land on the nest by Daedee. Behind the eaglet was Dancer who flew in and landed on top of the tree. He looked down several times to see Daedee was okay, and then he looked off into the distance, watching the eaglet join the other eaglet in the sky.

I moved on to nest 2, but it was so terribly cool with the strong winds, I wouldn't have heard an eaglet cry if it had hatched. Judy was deep in the nest, but every so often she would peak up at me while sitting on her 31 day old egg(s).

I moved on to nest 6. There was so much activity going on I wish I had eight arms and six more cameras. The geese were fighting over territory and the ducks were flying to a from the small to large ponds because there were five immature eagles diving down on them.

Linda, the nest 6 eagle sat in her nest watching the entire scene, probably thankful these eaglets made no attempt to land with her on the nest. I'm pretty sure two of them were Damian and Dorothy, the nest 1 2007 twins. The beak markings, and underwing patterns matched.

The eaglets flew off, and that gave me an opportunity to shoot pictures of the four trumpeter swans who had arrived since yesterday. Three of them swam together and a fourth remained on the shore, preening and rubbing his face against his bright yellow
band, 68U, with matching leg band.

I wondered where this swan came from, maybe I'll find that answer yet this week.
Alongside the fourth swan were two sandhill cranes drinking from the pond.

I watched flock after flock of canvas backs, mallards, and Canada geese fly off and return to the ponds, after one of the immature eagles returned.

I moved to nest 5 and found the eagle on the nest for day 26 incubation. Maybe by next week we will be experiencing some warmer weather? I hope so, these eaglets will have a rough start if it doesn't warm up soon.

Nest 3 and nest 4 eagles were also on their nests. No cave cottontail rabbit today.
However, I took another road home and I found both a country rabbit, and city rabbit with their basket of snow eggs.

We met some friends from Pennsylvania for dinner, Dorothy and Terry. Dorothy is a famous watercolor artist, and her work is among the finest I have ever seen. They will be heading back to Alaska this summer, and I hope one day I will follow them there for a season.

I'm looking forward to day 77.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 75, 3/23/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Happy Easter.

Today was a wonderful day in the valley. It was 31 degrees with a mixture of light and heavy snow, on and off all day.

I hiked out to my nest 1 eagle post and watched as Daedee flew in to a nearby tree, and Dancer flew off the nest and began mating her. Then he flew off and she took the nest.

I thought that was good timing for capturing them mating for the 8th time this season.

Nest 2 was sitting, and one eagle was soaring above the nest it doesn't look like we have eaglets today.

Nest 6 was on their nest, but there was hardly a duck on the big pond. A few hooded merganser's still in pursuit of that female merganser, and a few dozen geese. The snow was falling heavily and it made a picturesque scene.

I moved to nest 5 and found an eagle sitting for day 25 incubation.

Nest 3 was on their nest.

Nest 4 was on their nest.

Then I headed to Wisconsin to pick up some cheese for my grandfather. Unfortunately, as I should have expected, the cheese factory was closed. So I headed further west and took some time to shoot pictures of a bald eagle fishing on a slough. There was a man who hiked out about 500 yards from the eagle sitting on open water, and I worried he would fall through the ice.

Then I went to another marsh and found three great blue herons had arrived! I just love to look at these gorgeous birds, they are so striking with all their shades of grays, blacks, yellow, white. I was only there a second before one of them dove his beak into the marsh and pulled up a eight inch fish.

As I turned back one of them flew up and as he landed I photographed him (above).

On the way back we ran into a young couple walking from their vehicle. We figured they had car problems so we asked if they wanted a ride to the gas station. We got them a gas can and drove them back.

The lady said, "It's my birthday today."

I said, "I promise you, it's going to get better, starting now."

When I got back we stopped at my grandparents and had a few minutes with them, and my mom. It was truly a perfect Easter Day.

I'm looking forward to Day 76.

I'll see you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 74, Saturday, 3/22/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was a wonderful day in the valley. When I arrived in the valley it was 31 degrees and overcast. However, the sun peaked in and out of the cloudy skies all day and by afternoon a light misty-snow fell began falling. I met an new photographer from Rochester, and an old friend stopped by while I was covering nest 4. It's amazing the gifts God has planned each day for us, little surprises, blessings and all within miles of my project area.

When I arrived I hiked out to Daedee and Dancer's nest and I found Dancer flying the valley. There was another adult eagle further south, but it was a migrating eagle. Daedee was deep in the nest so I never saw her at all, but I trusted she was there, incubating her 18 day old egg(s).

I have to admit I began feeling a little uneasy sitting on the riverbank watching and listening to clumps of the bank cascading into the heavy flowing river, which has risen even more since yesterday. As I was getting ready to leave I noticed a tiny mosquito-like bug crawling up the riverbank, over it, and up towards me.

I video taped the little guy, and it was a male as he had thick fuzzy antennae, however, when I went to photograph him with my camera he up and flew off. Sometimes, that's the way things happen. I decided to move on.

When I reached nest 2, I noticed a Rochester photographer parked, and getting out to look at the nest. "Is she up there?" I asked Don Anderson.

"Lisa Loucks?"
"Lisa Loucks Christenson. Good to meet you Don." That's how we met. I told him she'd been on the nest for 29 days today and I'm expecting an eaglet this week, maybe even for Easter. We talked about his owl nest, the eagles, and photo opportunities in this valley. Then we parted.

I saw The Mayor flying above Judy, but neither eagle is exhibiting what I would call, "Giddiness". I hung out for awhile and moved on to nest 6. I saw Linda or Dick up on the nest, this was day 14 incubation for them. Then there was a lot of splashing going on so I moved up closer to the pond where I found several male hooded merganser ducks courting a female hooded merganser.

As this was going on I watched four of five sandhill cranes lift and fly north, while two remained on the back marsh. I grabbed a couple of them and went back to video taping these male ducks throwing their heads back making low pitched 'bob-bob-bob-bob" vocalization.

Then in a blink they all lifted and headed north.

Nest 5 was on their nest incubating their 24 day old egg(s), and nest 3 was up on their nest. I stopped to shoot some aquatic
life on the melting ponds, but all I found were some red water spiders. Little red pencil dots crawling all over the undersides of
the pebbles.

I moved on to see if I could find the cottontail, but no sign of her at all. I stared at a wing and tail pattern left in the snow, with small foot prints walking away trying to figure out what kind of bird made those tracks, maybe a hawk, it wasn't an eagle, too big for a crow and as I was studying this I heard someone ask if I owned a photography studio in Rochester.

I turned to find, Brad, a Winona County Sheriff Diver. We both came to the conclusion that it must have been two years since we last saw each other. We caught up on old times for a bit then he had to leave pick up his wife and dog up the road who were taking a nature walk,so I got to see her again too. She has such a friendly smile. Both of them so kind to me.

I told Brad that I added him into my Year End story, The 14 Pt. Buck, after meeting a couple years ago. I'll have to find a copy of that and send it to him. Great guy though, he was the one who encouraged me to keep on my 590 day project, even when some not so nice things were going on. He assured me sometimes it takes awhile to catch people, but they usually get caught.

I'm glad I listened.

I headed back to Rochester and we went to dinner with my mom, and then I did something I haven't done with her in about thirty five years, we all dyed Easter eggs. She even found old egg holders, those octagon-shaped holders all twist tied together
in the back of a kitchen drawer.

Then we played a board game, mom, Em, and me, and I won and my prize was a new memory of the night before Easter, in my childhood home, where my daughter stood and sat in my old place at our old kitchen table.

Dave ran to the store to get a Shel Silversteen book for Em, the only one she doesn't have, and he came back and said, "They didn't have the book, so I bought a couple more things we needed and when I got to the checkout lane there was a white book on top of display case, "Runny Babbit," that's weird, huh? What's the chances of that?


Happy Easter. He is Risen.

Looking forward to Easter, day 75.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 73, Friday, 3/21/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Remember that winter storm I wrote about last night? Well, today it hit us shutting down schools, some highways, and made slowed driving to around 30 MPH. It was 28 degrees when I left to for the valley. The roads had not been plowed on any of the country roads which made going down the steeper hills into the valley, well, a edge-of-my-seat journey.

I caught up with Cy Dodson, an outdoor journalist for Ron Schara's MN Bound outdoor show. He's doing a story on me on the eagle project. We started at Nest 6 and as I shot their eaglet from last year came in. The snow had covered the entire valley in a
heavy layer of white fluff, making it a picturesque setting for the day, but hard to see the eagles and their nests.

He filmed me as I told him the story on this nest, a little history on it, and then we watched the geese landing, and moved on.
There were, surprisingly, no goose fights today.

We moved onto nest 5. It was day 23 incubation for them, and I could see the nest, and a bird on it, but the snow was blinding us from seeing anything clearly. We could hear the sandhill cranes, and I promised him we'd find them before the day was over. I figured they would be easier to see in the snow. I was wrong.

We moved to nest 3 and the blinding snow covered the nest. I took a few shots, but mostly, they look like static on a television set. I couldn't see nest 4 at all, so I had him follow my truck to the end of my shooting project area. When we reached that I heard those cranes louder than ever. I asked him to follow me up a little further, and then I saw them, three crane in a cornfield, two of them fighting over the smaller crane which I could only guess was a female.

We both filmed the sandhill cranes flying and fighting, vocalizing and then I looked up and saw three eaglets. They were sparring, dropping down on one another at speeds that would make you wonder how it was even possible to pull out of, they were truly as talented as our Blue Angels.

As we backtracked I stopped and we did see the eagle on nest 4 now as the snow had lightened up in just that short half hour. The mate was sitting in that petrified tree he likes, on his branch, watching his mate. We didn't see much for migrating eagles, just the three eaglets, and there was one other eagle that I thought was a nest 3 eagle, but when I looked at my shots tonight I realized it was not any of our valley eagles. This eagle had a lot of dark edges on his tail, and some across his face. Probably a five year old eagle.

Then we found a flock of robins some were perched on the trees near us, others were eating dried grapes, and the rest were on the snowy ground, drinking and bathing, flitting in and out of the ditch water.

When we reached nest 2, I looked up and saw The Mayor, the male eagle, flying in from a half mile away. We watched him fly down and perch on the snow covered branch, just as Judy lifted her head. This was day 28 incubation for them and I know they must be anticipating the birth of their firstborn eaglet(s).

He let out his vocalizations, then settled watching over her, and watching Cy and me. After about ten minutes he flew off to the west and I photographed him flying through the increasing snow.

Last stop was Daedee and Dancer's nest 1. I hoped that we would see them today. We had reserved the last hours of our day for them. As we hiked out the snow flakes increased in size and blanketed the ground, the trees, the plants, and us. I took Cy to the Wildlife Study, but we couldn't see any eagles.

I expected Dancer to come in, but he never did. We hiked to the river and it has doubled in width and depth in just a couple days. We couldn't see the eagle on the nest, and that eagle was likely Daedee. She always seems to take the nest through the storms.

We hiked to the north side of the nest, but we didn't see them on that side either. We both got lots of shots of the snow falling
on the nest, which was beautiful but it would have been more lovely had the eagle popped up.

On the hike out I stopped one more time from my west side, gully post, where sometimes, I can see between the thick trunks the eagle head. All I saw was four inches of snow. So we hiked out and parted, planning our continuation of the nest next month sometime once the eaglet(s) hatch.

Usually I see more wildlife on these snowy days, and I shot about 500 pictures today, a lot of them blurry from the snow dropping on my lens, or trying to manually focus on a fast-moving subject, but it wasn't until I started editing the pictures tonight that I realized how lucky we were to find what we did.

The best part of the day was looking down at my notebook, seeing all the notes I had made, things to check back on, and the sentiments from Dave and Em with a heart and "We love you, have a good day."

Then I drove up a mile from my project area and my truck hit exactly 200,000 miles. I thought that signified a well-oiled truck and new beginnings ahead. I really appreciated Cy taking the time to spend in the field with me today, and to share the story of the eagles of this valley, a place I swear God planned long before a stick was laid.

Thank you Ron Schara, and thank you Cy Dodson for a great day in the field and a chance to share these eagles' stories with you and your viewers. God Bless.

I'm looking forward to day 74.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 72, Thursday, 3/20/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Today spring officially arrived! The official spring equinox time was 5:48 AM, and I was just waking up for the morning. I arrived in the valley a few hours later in under sunny skies and enjoying a comfortable 35 degree day.

The birds were everywhere around me singing, flying, swimming, fighting for territory, guarding their mates on the nest, or nesting. I decided to do Daedee and Dancer's nest last today. I headed to nest 2 where I listened carefully for the cry of an eaglet, but felt only the wind. I wasn't disappointed, nature will be calling me to try again tomorrow.

I moved on to nest 6. Linda was on the nest. Dick was above her flying with their 2007 eaglet. I think I'll name him Badger, for he is a persistent immature eagle who doesn't seem to want to leave his parents. I've seen this twice with first born eaglets, their desire to remain even while the parents are nesting the second year in a row.

The female common merganser had three suitors, and spent most of her time snapping her beak at them, but swam the lead. Funny thing happened, I noticed that a lot of woman are cutting their hair short in the back of their heads lately, and I'm no hair expert, but I do notice a resemblance with this new style being fashioned after the female common merganser. I told my husband these ladies have merganser hair styles, and now everywhere we go he whispers, "There's another merganser."

The mergansers quickly lifted to the air and switched to the other side of the marsh during a knock down fight the Canada geese were involved in. It appeared that there were 3 pair of geese lined up to try the new nest box. The female would fly up to the nest box while her mate took on the other challengers.

At one point a goose came down (above shot) and knocked his opponent down on the ice and he jumped on him while the poor guy on the ice laid "spread eagle" or I should say "spread goose" and the attacker jumped on his back and pounded his beak into the almost knocked silly goose.

I've heard they can kill another goose, but geez--over a wood nest box with fresh straw?

I moved on and photographed nest 5 eagle on her nest for day 22. I can't believe how fast these days have gone. Nest three and four eagles were on their nests.

So I took some time and photographed some aquatic insects underwater where the marsh had finally melted on the edges.
There staring right at me was a nymph of a damselfly, or maybe it was another insect. He even walked up to the top of the water, staying underneath almost curious to what I was doing.

I found snails, amphipods, water daphnia, diving beetles, snow fleas, and a fishing spider swirling around on the top of the water as the wind moved him from pebble to pebble.

As I headed to my truck, I thought how much my life was like that little fishing spider being moved from one story to another, miniature world to magnificent wonders by the first winds of spring.

I moved on to Daedee and Dancer's nest, I wasn't there long when I saw Daedee come in and land on their nest. Dancer the male, stood up and he left to fly around as his incubation shift was over for awhile. He saw me and flew up my direction, and as I took a few shots I started laughing.

On this first day of spring I didn't expect rainbows, but I thought maybe I had a slim chance of seeing a white dove with an olive branch in it's beak. I kept looking for anything that looked like a promising sign, something from above, something that promised me a wonderful spring season, something that said, "God's blessing are on this years project." I know God has a sense of humor he's proven that time and time again.

They say eagles are messengers from Heaven. As The Dancer, the male eagle I love so dearly flew over me I didn't notice any doves but I did see a branch sticking out of his white tail feathers. (Photo above).

We have a winter storm watch tonight with up snow accumulating all day tomorrow, 6-8 inches is expected.

I'm looking forward to day 73.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 71, Wednesday, 3/19/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was a wonderful day for wildlife photographers. I only met one, Tim, but we both shared the same sandhill cranes subjects above. I think the cranes are some of most lovely birds, and every day I seem to find shots of them that captivate my soul and make me desire to return to them again and again.

It was about 33 degrees when I arrived in the valley. I hiked out and sat with nest one eagles, Daedee and Dancer for about two hours. Dancer came in and offered to take the nest but Daedee wanted to stay on the nest. She peeked at me through her
sticks and I smiled, knowing she was watching me.

There were three pairs of adult eagles migrating through their nest area, and one immature eagle. Dancer stayed close to Daedee. He didn't chase any of the other pairs off, perhaps he didn't see a potential threat. I enjoyed watching him observe
the other pairs sparring and out flying each other in eagle races across the valley.

I moved on to find The Mayor, the male nest 2 eagle, was sitting on the nest. His dark eyes were right on the valley and then turned towards me a couple times. The winds had picked up since early morning and they parted his white feathers on his head, exposing his dark feathers underneath. Today was 26 days incubation for this pair.

I moved on to nest 6 and I was immediately met by a large brown immature eagle who swooped right before me in an attempt to capture a fish on the open water. I kept my lens on him, ignoring the constant Canada goose fights. I had an inkling he would try and go to his old nest. Linda was sitting on the nest for day 11 incubation. Dick was 15 feet above her on his tree perch.

I couldn't believe what happened next. I shot pictures instead of video, only because the action was happening so fast, I'd have missed getting it at all on video.

The eaglet swooped down and tried to land on his father. The father eagle spread his wings and both him and the female vocalized that they didn't want him in the nest area. Stubborn eaglet wouldn't listen, instead he rose up, circled and came right back down almost knocking his dad off. This time the dad flew after him.

The eaglet then flew down and tried to land in the nest next to the mother who spread her wings out covering her eggs, and vocalized her disapproval. The eaglet, one who appears to be still very bonded to his parents left after this and I didn't see him again.

Every time I have watched this, with the eagles rejecting their returning eaglets I keep a small prayer in my heart for them all. They are more social than we acknowledge, and those lone eagles we think are enjoying that alone time, are usually not that alone after all. Unless your the only offspring from a nest. I believe those immature eagles have it the hardest. They have no one to play with, they have no friends, come spring, they find even the parents they adore no longer want them around.

The look on their faces is always the same. Some, like this eaglet, just don't give up that easily.

I moved on and noticed a car parked in the highway with the door open. I thought someone fell out. I saw no one, until I noticed a photographer stalking the sandhill cranes. Nice guy. He's avid outdoor photographer. He showed me some of his work and I have to say it was phenomenal.

For only taking wildlife work up a year ago, he has a very promising future. It's all in a persons wants, and he wants to use his knowledge to teach others how to shoot pictures, how anyone can do this. I told him, "God's going to use you."

He will, too. His heart is in the right place, and talent like that isn't just given without a purpose.

Nest five was on the nest for day 21 incubation. Nest three was on their nest for day 11 incubation, and nest 4 was on their nest for day 8 incubation.

It was a fun day, full of unexpected adventures, and meeting a new photographer.

I'm looking forward to day 72.

See you on the journey--

Lisa

Day 70, Tuesday, 3/18/08, Year Four Dancer & Daedee: Snow Falling on Eagles

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Hello Eagle Friends,

Today was an exceptional day for opportunity. I drove through a light drizzle. Some surrounding schools had two hour delays today with the sleet-covered roads. It was 32 degrees when I arrived in the valley. The heavy cloud cover and misty bluffs gave a shadowless light, with deeply saturated golds and browns.

As I hiked to the river I found a couple mushrooms that had pushed through the snow and I found their muted orange color appealing on such a drab day.

I hiked past the eagle nest and I sat down on the edge of the river, listening to its fast spring pace while waiting to document any eagle activity. As I sat there I noticed little raindrops on top of the mosses and took that as an opportunity to shoot the minute water world.

Dancer flew in about forty feet away and announced his arrival. Daedee merely peeked up, which was her signal that she wanted to stay on the nest. She'll stay on her eggs at least four hour at a time, sometimes longer on drippy, rainy days.

Maybe it's like how I sometimes feel, I'd rather sit on my couch on my porch and listen to the rain, than to hike out and sit it in. Then again, if I did that, I'd miss my documentary so my porch time is reserved for late nights or very early mornings only.

Dancer preened and as he fluffed out his feathers I took a few shots and he turned looking back down at me and flew off to the north. I decided to hike out and find out what was going on to the north.

I arrived at nest 2 to find Judy doing well sitting on her egg(s). Today was 25 days. We could have eaglets in three days, but it'll probably be next week. My attention was drawn to some eaglets sparring up above her nest and dropping down. The Mayor had to fly in and circle to lead them out.

It sure appeared to be Damian and Dorothy. Then I moved on and found the two immature eagles a half mile north. I photographed them heavily. I was just sure that was Damian and Dorothy. Their beak coloration, their tails, the shapes of their heads. Then I spoke out their names and they both turned and looked right at me. The adult eagles didn't, so that made me wonder more.

I am only 98% sure this is them, or two eaglets, who are likely male and female, who are about a year old, and have the same appearances as Damian and Dorothy, and yes, that is possible.

I sat with them almost a half hour. Dorothy flew up to the sky, and Damian watched her--just like he always had, always the follower. He stayed though, for another five minutes and then took off and joined Dorothy who continually circled him.

Nest 6 had both eagles on the nest when I arrived. This was day 10 incubation for them. The one eagle was laying on the egg(s), and the mate feeding. When it had finished feeding it walked around to the east of the nest and laid down by its mate. Maybe that's what they do on rainy days.

I moved on and could hear the sandhill cranes, and I was determined to get a good shot today. I could not find them. I could hear them, and almost locate them by their sounds projection, but I'm telling you from experience you could stand right next to one and not see it.

If I were a manufacturer of camouflage clothing, I would fashion it after a pair of sandhill cranes. For it wasn't until they jumped and down doing their crane dances, that I even noticed them, less than 50 feet from me. I watched, and I shot their pictures, and my video camera battery died. I expected that--I forget to charge it last night.

I was very pleased to have this experience, but even happier to come home with new images of their behavior. Then they walked on the ice and blended into the tall grasses.

The nest 3 mate was perched by its nest while its mate brooded their 10 day old egg(s).

Nest four was on their nest for day 7, their one week milestone.

No cottontail today. Nothing else extraordinary, but I thanked God for this journey and the opportunity to capture his
creatures dancing, flying, and returning after such a long absence.

I'm looking forward to day 71.

See you on the journey--

Lisa