For you accipiter fans, Saturday a.m. I was standing around my duck pen when
all bird sounds ceased in the woods nearby. I looked up to see, not 20 feet
above me, an adult Bald eagle circling! Needless to say, the ducks weren't
too happy about it.

After that encounter I headed to the other side of the house to change the
hummingbird feed. As soon as I reached the feeder and reached up to unscrew
it from its lid, our guardian rufus male darted down and began to sip - with
my hands not three inches away! I've been close to them before but never
THAT close. I think he was in guarding mode, though, as he spent the rest
of the day harassing us (and anything else that went anywhere near his
feeder). Quite an experience.

But the crowning moment came Sunday afternoon. I was once again standing
around the duck pen (I seem to be doing this more and more frequently!)
when, suddenly, wings spread and frantically flapping, the ducks were
literally trampling each other in their attempts to get under the trees. I
even had one run up and stand between my feet. I turned just in time to see
a second year bald eagle coming out of his stoop a few feet behind me and
heading back up (thankfully, duckless!) to circle above the pen. WOW!
That's all I can say!

For anyone tracking these birds (per the message last week), the neighbors
tell me the adult eagle flys through each year on the same day (I can find
that out if anyone wants to know) but, when I mentioned Saturday's adventure
to them, they said he's early this year. I would guess that perhaps it's a
different bird and I should be able to confirm that in the next week or two
if the regular visitor comes on his appointed day.

Happy Birding!

Peggi "Still excited in Veneta" Rodgers



Peggi Rodgers
Oregon Research Institute
Eugene, OR
peggir at ori.org
"A bird does not sing because it has an
answer, It sings because it has a song"