Hi tweeties;
I drove down to the bald eagle roost site in the Methow this evening
(26th) that was noted on tweeters yesterday by Meredith and Dave
Spencer. The Spencers were there at the roadside, shivering in the
cold with several other die-hards counting eagles as they roared in with
considerable fanfare to rest their weary tail feathers. We counted
48; 51 were counted the previous night. The ratio is roughly 3:1
immatures to adults. Much of the roosting area is not visible from
the roadside, so I would conjecture that a rather larger number of
eagles is present, perhaps 60 or 70.

The roost had been noted for the first time in the history of the
world just a few days ago. Local birders living within a mile of the
roost wondered if they had been blind to its existence in past years.
George Brady of the WDFW, who pays close attention to such things,
did not know of this roost, but he had been recently informed by
'coyote hunters' of a large kill of deer (approximately 15 animals) by
coyotes quite close to this roost site. About two weeks ago, our
unusually deep snow crusted lightly, such that coyotes could run on
top while deer were still breaking through. Apparently it has been a
time of feasting for coyots (and eagles) and a time of transformation
for deer (into coyots and eagles, and magpies and ravens, and....)
George noted that bald eagles vote on where to roost 'with their
stomachs,' and as such the phenomenon at any one site can be quite
ephemeral. Locally their other menu items can include 1) road-killed
deer, 2) coots and ducks on the 'pools' behind the dams on the
Columbia, and 3) calf placenta (the relatively few remaining cattle
herds hereabouts tend to calve this time of year), 4) pet dogs and
cats.

And oh, I heard a bc chickadee sing its 'fee-bee-bee' song a week
ago. Can spring be far behind?

Dana Visalli

"In nature's infinite book of secrecy
A little I can read."
Will Shakespeare