Sunday, January 02, 2011

[Jill W]

I was at the nest area from 3:25 PM until 6:00 PM.  As I parked at my usual place, I noticed a large bird flying from E to W.  I didn't know if it was an eagle or vulture, but it was flying so low and close to the nest, I figured it was probably an eagle.  I walked to the dead tree area and there was one on top of a tree.  I did not attempt to take a picture of it because it was not in a front tree and my camera has been focusing on the closest tree.  The bird would have been a blur.  It stayed for about 5 minutes and then flew away to the S.

On the nest was the usual.  A head popping up now and then, but at 3:55, the eagle stood up preened for a few seconds and seemed to change positions a little before it disappeared again.

Mike arrived at about 4:25 and was there until 6.  He focused his camera on the nest.  I walked to the dead trees after a while and there was not an eagle to be seen.  I returned to the nest area and I guess maybe 25 minutes or so later, I walked to the dead trees again and there was an eagle.  I took some pictures but I don't know yet if they are going to be OK.  I hope a few do, especially some with an added bonus of a woodpecker on a very close tree in the same pic as the eagle.

At 6, while I was getting my stuff into the car, I heard eagles crying out.  It was pretty dark, but with my binoculars, I was able to see an adult standing on the rim of the nest.  When I drove by the dead trees on my way home, the one that had been there for a very long time was no longer there.

Mike took quite a few pictures and he will probably post them tonight.

Jill

[Jill W]

Here are some cropped pictures of the slacker (just kidding, she may have been there incubating all day before she flew away from the nest at 3:25 PM) tail feathers.  I thought I could see fairly clearly with my binoculars that the tail feathers were all white.







And, here's a Great Egret trying to get away from me as I started to park.  I cropped it a bit, mainly because it was out of focus, but the flight feathers looked like a white old-fashioned fancy skirt to me.



So, what's the verdict, Ken?  The eagle tail is the female's, right?

Jill

[NewMexiKen]

Yes, Jill, the female. To my eye the tail feather tips appear to be entirely white.