Subject: [Tweeters] Medina Park Herons, Eagle and Wigeon
Date: Mar 16 22:48:05 2007
From: Kathy Andrich - chukarbird at yahoo.com



Hi Tweeters,

I have been to Medina Park about 3 or so times this
heron nesting season and it looked like everything was
going well until today. An immature (2nd year) Bald
Eagle was perched in the open cottonwood that has 2
nests in it this evening. It sat there seemingly
forever while the herons presumably from this tree
perched in nearby trees. The evergreen tree nests
seemed unaffected. I left and had dinner and returned
about 7:15. The eagle was in the same spot but
shortly hopped up onto the lower heron nest and had
talons full of nest it seemed to be trying to dislodge
by flapping and pulling up. Then it plucked at a few
of the sticks in the nest with its beak. Just about
this time two of the wigeon in the pond below decided
to duke it out. This brought an immediate reaction
from the eagle who dove down on the wigeon. After a
few swoops the eagle landed back in the cottonwood
tree, then the wigeon started fighting again. Swoop,
swoop, land. I couldn't believe the wigeon kept
fighting. The third wigeon fight the eagle landed in
a different tree and one of the herons did a circle
over the nest tree calling but did not land in the
tree. At about 7:30 the eagle flew away directly
west. A few minutes later one heron flew to the upper
nest in the cottonwood rearranged a few sticks and
stood on the nest.

One of the dog walkers was very upset about the eagle.
I was concerned for any small dogs when the eagle was
hunting but all the dogs at that time were labs and
retrievers in the area.

The City of Medina website has directions to this
park.

Kathy
Roosting in S King County



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