Elaine and I were at Nisqually late on 22 May to get her a look at the
White Pelicans. We had just met James Taylor (no relation), a volunteer at
the refuge and found a Killdeer on nest with three eggs and seen a few
other birds well when .... I spotted a Bald Eagle on the tall snag at
Luhr's Beach. (This was before we got to the Great Blue Heron rookery) I
spotted a closer adult Baldie in a long, fast, gentle glide and followed it
with the scope. It ended up crashing through a nest and taking out a good
sized immature heron. It seemed to hang up on the edge of the nest before
dropping over the edge and ending up in a Doulas Fir and disappearing from
sight, but not sound. All the close in herons stood to full height and
made hissing and croaking sounds and general uproar. Obviously, they were
most agitated and displeased. The volunteer said that the rookery used to
be further inland but that Bald Eagles had probably been a factor in its
relocation closer toward the point. A second eagle flew in and we assume
partook of the feast.

Shortly after that, we found the White Pelicans and a couple of Wilson's
Phalaropes. Deciding to complete the loop we also had a Harris's Sparrow
sing and parade for us about 250 yards before reaching the observation
platform.

It was still a good walk back to the car and we didn't get there to well
after dark. I was concerned that they would lock the gate but later we
were told that there is a problem with car break-ins at the parking area.
On Memorial Day we noted that volunteers were patrolling the area.

Bob and Elaine
Federal Way, WA
taylorrt at foxinternet,net

----------
> From: Mary Gast <mgast at linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Bald Eagle and Blue Heron rookery
> Date: Monday, June 01, 1998 1:04 AM
>
> I visited Nisqually NWR on Saturday and witnessed a Bald Eagle fly into
> the Great Blue Heron rookery there. It seemed to make several attempts
at
> whatever it was trying to do. Other people with binoculars said that the
> eagle actually flew into one of the nests, but I wasn't looking through
my
> binoculars at the time so I'm not sure. Was it after eggs, or a young
> heron? I'm not sure if there would be any eggs in the nests. One of the
> volunteers there said that the young herons were large, but that they
> couldn't fly yet. I'm very interested if anyone has seen or knows about
> this kind of behavior. It was spectacular to watch as the eagle flew in
> and a giant roar, maybe scream would be a better description, went up
from
> the herons.
>
> Mary Dalziell
> Bremerton, WA