[birding] Interesting afternoon at Finley (Bruce Rd. north of the marsh)

[Paul Rentz]

Today I witnessed my first 'egret catching a vole' event. I've watched them
catch things so small (little frogs, fish?) that I couldn't see what their
catch was. This one was easy to see. Even though I promised not to steal his
vole, the egret was not convinced and flew off anyway, vole in beak. Even
though he was far away from me, he didn't his finish meal there either.
About the same time I heard a ruckus behind me. Four egrets in that field
(the north side) and many of the geese and ducks behind me- took flight.
That's finally when I saw a pair of eagles coming from over the marsh. One
took a 'seat' in a tree at the east end of prairie area and the other headed
due west. A little while later they had a staff meeting in the field where
all the geese had been, worked out their strategy and flew off on another
mission. Also saw what now appears to be one of those snow geese in flight-
again at a distance. Interesting two hours on Bruce Road!

 

Egret Photos-

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3187027174_4787423104_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3187027104_a6940b7d61_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3453/3187030136_95818bf206_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3372/3186189511_1f97b1dcfa_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3187030602_a7c0cb78c5_b.jpg

Just before spotting eagles-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3186190275_81de6fa808_b.jpg

Eagles-

No wonder the egrets fled!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3186190855_3b5112310d_b.jpg

Retreat in the background-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3437/3186190979_51b2b8ce1a_b.jpg

What he was flying toward-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/3187033766_a782429f5e_b.jpg

Cruising low over the fields-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/3187032008_707ac05333_b.jpg

Again- http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/3186191079_5ea32d3278_b.jpg

Their meeting-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3186192701_4102f51284_b.jpg

Off to their next mission-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/3186193415_b9bd5bd8f1_b.jpg

Before their arrival- Pintails-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/3187027834_5fbcff5d82_b.jpg

Northern Shoveler mates-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3186187605_f6e57a9b33_b.jpg

Kestrel hovering-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/3186188783_6198f58658_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3503/3186188727_52ef71afcd_b.jpg

Geese with Mt. Jefferson in the background-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3186188291_760f565a1b_b.jpg

Geese, 'pre-eagles'-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3187028670_47a10af26b_b.jpg

Snow goose- in flight-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/3186186705_8173f63493_b.jpg

He waited until everyone else landed-
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3187027650_41a863bb84_b.jpg 

 

Lots to see at Finley these days! All this action just west of McFadden's
Marsh on Bruce Road.

Paul Rentz

 

 

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