Bird Brain

102310: We really do enjoy our wildlife here at the Park during the off season. It is part of our conscious thought and topic of frequent conversations. We have learned when to expect our returning visitors just as if they have a date circled on their calendar and on that date it says: "Topaz." The Canada Geese are part of returning regulars. They join us in the late summer, usually about mid-August and sometimes don't leave until late spring. Everyday they fly into our shoreline awaiting leftovers from the ducks' food that we provide. Actually, how it happens is we go to the shoreline to feed the two ducks, the geese see us & fly in, honking all the way. Usually there are two small, consistent groups that arrive and then a semi-battle/chase scene occurs to establish pecking order on the remaining food. And the groups are always even numbered, too. I'll try to get a video of them one morning arriving and honking and battling.

I was just about 20 feet from the shoreline. The male geese are pretty aggressive and watch us closely.

I thought I would provide a slightly better photo of Henry (you know, Henry the Heron.) He is just fascinated with our docks. (Maybe he thinks the poles on the docks are Henriettas?)

So obviously I've got birds on my brain this morning and there is a good reason why, too. Yesterday, we were very excited (really, really very excited) to see flying right above our house, two ADULT Bald Eagles, and one juvenile Bald Eagle. Momma, Poppa and baby! Earlier this year I wrote about how an adult Bald Eagle was found dead beneath it's nest. (Click here to read that story.) What I didn't mention in the story is our fear that we believed we had only one adult Bald Eagle and one juvenile remaining. And would this lead to an eventual demise of our Bald Eagle family? Well, whatever happened since then to produce what we saw yesterday has made us very happy. The three Eagles soared in circles above our house, screeching out to each other, gradually rising higher and higher on thermals until they were specks in the sky and disappeared...

We love our Eagles.