There has been a large group of 200+ swans along Highway 9 just south of
Snohomish. While driving by slowly I noticed lots of movement amid the
swans, low flying and sort of fly hopping about. The cause was an eagle
soaring overhead. I parked along the road and the eagle, which was a good
200 feet up made a couple of shallow, sort of fake dives, swooping lower.
Each time it did, the swans would do their dance with a great deal of
honking about. After about 5 minutes of this the eagle flew off over the
highway. I was wondering if maybe the eagle was testing the swans, looking
for any sick ones? Would an eagle even take on something as huge as a swan
even if it was sick? I once saw an eagle feeding at a deer carcass so my
theory was it was checking for sickness maybe to indicate whether it was
worthwhile to come back later for a caracass.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
HYPERLINK
"http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm"http://www.nonprofitpages.com/ni
ca/SVE.htm
><((((?>`?..?`?..?`?...><((((?>...?`?..?`?...><((((?>.?`?..?`?...><((((?>.?`
?..?`?...><((((?>?.. ><((((?>
?`?..?`?...?..?`><((((?>.?`?..?`?...><((((?>.?`?..?`?...><((((?>..?`?..?`?..
.><((((?>?.. ?`?..?`?....?`?..?`?...><((((?>





--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.10/189 - Release Date: 11/30/2005