There is a high pitched scream in the air and as I look up two large objects
are falling from the sky. They tumble towards the ground, then separate, and
materialize over the river bar directly overhead into two Bald eagles, now
soaring in opposite circles around and around each other. They slowly climb
higher and higher into the remarkably blue February sky, then suddenly they
come together, grasping talons and down they fall. It is a dance like no
other, a choreography of precision and passion, ancient and everlasting. I
feel humbled and honored to be able to witness this private moment in the
life of our largest local raptor.

I also came across a interesting coyote track puzzle which I interpreted as
a coyote who was able to jump up and knock a duck out of the air. At one
place the coyote jumped almost 3 feet, landed and then apparently jumped
again sideways. I looked very carefully and could find no other tracks but
coyotes on this mysterious dance floor. I intersected the coyotes tracks
again on the other side of a gravel bar and not far away found well consumed
remains of a duck.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish County