Subject: BAld Eagle, "Once in a lifetime Experience"
Date: Feb 14 09:01:32 2004
From: W. William Woods - wwwbike at halcyon.com


14 February 2004
Subject: Bald Eagle, "Once in a lifetime Experience"

We have lived on our tree farm for over 50 years, and have never witnessed
this before. The pond out our kitchen window, one of several on our tree
farm, harbors wild MALLARDS (about 100), wild WOOD DUCKS (3 pair plus one
or more drakes), and wild MANDARIN DUCKS (two males) that daily fly in to
take part in a cracked-corn chow line. Yesterday, we were eating an early
lunch at about 11:00 a.m., when Bill said "There is a Great Blue
Heron--No! It is an Eagle!" I looked out just in time to see the big BALD
EAGLE cross over the pond, its tail partly white with a black band on the
end. The eagle disappeared behind the big cedar and Douglas-fir beside the
pond, before I could get a good look at the head. The ducks were obviously
agitated, but did not fly up. Soon the eagle swooped down again, its
talons lowered, hoping to scoop up a duck, but was not successful. It is
not a large pond, and has several large fir and cedar trees around it,
plus a fence and tall rose bushes close to one side. It was really not an
easy "glide path" for the eagle. It flew around and tried again from a
different angle, but still no success. I got a good look at its head that
time-- almost all white, with several specks of brown. I would guess it
was a fourth-year female, quite large. After about eight successive
passes, the eagle came around again from the opposite side of the pond,
and landed on the little island in the center of the pond. I jumped up
from the table and moved over to where I could see it better. The eagle
noticed that we were watching, and finally decided to leave. This eagle
display lasted at least fifteen minutes, absolutely breathtaking. The
eagle must have been desperate for food: It even hovered over the pond for
a few seconds, certainly expending lots of energy, without being
successful in its food pursuit. Perhaps it was trying to scare the ducks
into flight or out of the pond, in hopes of snatching one in the air or
pouncing on it on land, but again no luck. the ducks did not fly up or
climb out of the pond, but just scattered around the pond, going every
which way, an amazing sight. Had it been a raccoon, dog, or person
frightening them, they would have flown off; but they somehow realized it
was safer to remain on the water. We had witnessed a "Once in a lifetime"
birding life- and-death drama. This time, life won.

Erin Woods

Bill and Erin Woods Woods Tree Farm Redmond, WA U.S.A.
<wwwbike at halcyon.com>