[birding] Friday's Finley Observations- Eagles Still Hunting Together

[Paul Rentz]

Friday I went with Wayne again to McFadden's Marsh- and we again witnessed
three eagles hunting together. They didn't seem to be successful this time
as we watched them touch down and dig their claws into the surface of the
water but didn't see them come up with anything. This time they were further
away so we may have missed it. The three were two juveniles and one adult.
The adult pulled out first and landed in a tree, seeming to watch the two
younger ones continue to look for something in the water at the north end.

When they came into the marsh, the geese were very tightly packed together.
We were trying to see if the dead goose from Wednesday's hunt was still
there but that was impossible. The eagles helped-
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4450222429_e5fa41e7b8_b.jpg  Their
arrival cleared the marsh in seconds! The two hunters overhead-
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4450996160_f1582e411b_b.jpg  (We did
later spot the dead goose, same spot they left it Wednesday.)

Then there were three this time, working that area at the north end-
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4449868390_f8df0dcc8a_b.jpg 

We went down to the blind to see if we could tell what was going on, but the
action was pretty much over by then. Instead, just before the blind and to
the left we spotted a pair of bushtits apparently 'nest building'-
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4449020683_79a9104278_b.jpg  the pair-
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4449795378_45a0af3a31_b.jpg  and busy at
work- http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2801/4449021107_eb9c58ddd9_b.jpg 

 

I saw the shrike Howard mentioned Thursday, in the deciduous trees just
behind the evergreens right in front of Bruce and Carla Rigor's home, the
last house before Finley on the right. Some birders had told me about it at
the prairie overlook but I misunderstood where they meant and I came upon
him too fast, chasing him and his vole meal down to the end of those trees
before he took of completely. Disappointing because he was so close- and
with the vole would have been a great picture! Maybe later if he seems to
like that area. 

 

And thanks to Howard for bird sounds- I have one of those hummingbirds that
make that very loud, short almost popping shrill sound that I would have
NEVER believed to be a hummingbird in my front yard, almost on a regular
basis during the spring to fall. Heard him for the first time Friday.

 

PS: The ospreys have returned along with the turkey vultures now- we spotted
two osprey that seemed to hunt much higher than normal- they may be waiting
for the geese to leave? 

 

Sincerely.

Paul Rentz,

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.midvalleybirding.org/pipermail/birding/attachments/20100321/de245d47/attachment-0001.html