Tuesday evening, our class was sitting on the spit, at Spenser Spit state
Park on Lopez Island, having our evening campfire. The sun was low, casting
long shadows. An adult eagle was perched on the ground and another was
perched about 100 meters away in a tree, with a great look from our
gathering spot. The tree bird launched off, spiralled down down towards the
lagoon, talons extended, as if fishing. But just before touching the water
it retracted its talons, swooped over the eagle on the ground, then did this
pirouette in the air, about 3 feet off the ground, where it turned sharply
with its left wing almost staying in the same location relative to the
sitting bird, and came around 270 degrees to a landing, about a foot from
the seated one. They then started throwing up their beaks into the air,
alternating, one up while the other was down. They did this 12 times
(according to one of my students who bless him, counted. I was so proud)
Then the eagle launched again, and flew back to the same tree. This
performance was repeated 3 more times, each time the landing move was
slightly different, one time it was both wings back drafting at the last
possible moment to land gently. Another time it sort of skidded along the
top of the water, dragging its talons for about 20 feet or so in the top of
the water, then making a slight aerial hop up to avoid crashing into the
lagoon edge. It was a marvelous show for the kids, who after the first time,
applauded wildly with each landing. One of the parents started a judging
competition, giving a point score for the landing. It was our own private
eagle show. But the best was yet to come.

On the way back up from the spit to the campground a group of kids were
sneak walking and decided to cut through the group camp area. They
stealthily creeped along the edges of the path, hoping to sneak up on one of
the numerous rabbits. They succeeded, and a smallish Rabbit bolted, and in a
flash of black and white, an eagle swooped down, right in front of the
stunned kids, and nabbed the rabbit they had spooked. The eagle sat on the
dead rabbit, on the ground, looking the kids from maybe 4 feet away. When
the bird flew off with the rabbit, they could feel the air pumped from its
mighty wings.

Rob Sandelin
South Snohomish County at the headwaters of Ricci Creek
Sky Valley Environments <http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm>
Field skills training for student naturalists
Floriferous at msn.com



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