Eagle Journal March 7, 2010
Got out to the blind at 6:00 just as the sun was starting to rise. It is 23 degrees with a half moon shining. It is going to be a beautiful day. 6:45 the ravens are already carrying on. 7:00 an immature comes in from the east, one from the south and another from the swamp. Then a mature comes in from the east to the trees.
There are now eight plus ravens on the ground carrying on. They are so comical. We are always entertained just watching them.
Two of the immature move to the trees closer to us. The mature is chattering at them wanting them to go check out the pile. Then the ravens all moved back closer to the tree line. Why?
The sun is rising beautifully!! Hope something comes in besides seagulls and ravens.
Two immature finally fly down to the ground around 8:00. Yeah!! The mature chatters at them again.
They were picking up dead grass and playing with it. One attacked the other, then hopped up on a stump.
Then the other one pushed the one off the stump. They finally both flew up into the same tree.
The ravens are back to the pile at 8:30 followed the seagulls ten minutes later. Up to twenty ravens are out having a good time. The 1st year flew to the perching tree while the mature chattered at it.
Oh no a raven just took off with something. Of course, the two immature and the mature took off after it at 9:45. It was just a lump of snow with probably a bone in it. The ravens love to play with the bones. That’s why we call them bone-pickers.
There is a rough-legged hawk soaring high overhead.
One of the immature flew closer to the pile and landed on the ground out farther. The other 1st year flew down then took off again. The first one picked up piece of stiff hide and started pulling on it. A raven decided to harass the eagle by sneaking up on it and pulling its tail feathers. The eagle swings around but doesn’t do a thing to the raven. Then two other ravens join in on the fun. They had the poor eagle going in circles. Michael captured it all on video. We laughed our heads off over it later when we watched the footage. At one point one of the ravens even took the piece from the eagle but decided to finally give it back to it. It is amazing how the ravens tempt “fate” otherwise known as the eagles. The one that took the piece had its head right down near those extremely sharp talons. Guts!
My 1st year came in after a piece of meat but I didn’t get flight shots that I wanted.
Then it took off to the north. Bummer!!
The rough-legged hawk is being chased into the swamp by the ravens. Another rough-legged flew over and spooked the seagulls. We are always amazed how the ravens have the audacity to harass and chase these birds of prey. NO FEAR!!
At 11:15 all three immature are in the trees along with the mature. One of the 1st years flew in near the pile.
The other flew back into the swamp. They are playing musical trees. Whatever.
Jim brought out a meat ball before 12:00. Shortly after the seagulls were back to the pile. One of rough-legged hawks is in the trees. But he got forced to the east. Another rough-legged flew back to the trees while the other flew over the swamp to the west. Then suddenly the one rough-legged flew over and grabbed a piece of meat and took it back to the trees. We knew if we were going to get any footage of these hawks it would be while the eagles were out of sight.
Then the male rough-legged came in and ate a good portion of meat while on the ground. Michael & I were able to capture some footage of it before it took off. Yeah!! (because the eagles returned).
So by 12:30 the two 1st years and one mature came back to the trees.
The sun is shining on the1st year perched on the perching tree. It looks just like a big fat robin with its peach colored breast feathers.
There are now sixty seagulls and a few ravens on the ground. Oh my gosh the rough-legged just left but he did a fly-by at the mature eagle and made it flinch. The mature moved over to the tree with the immature.
Yip, yip, yip, meow, meow, meow, baa, baa, baa, the many sounds of the mimicking seagulls. It sounds like a barnyard out there. A big raven sauntered in and took a piece of meat from a seagulls.
I close my eyes for less than one minute(since 6:45am) everything flew. Rough legged circled from the east. Everything flew again. The mature went behind us after the rough-legged ended up in a cedar to the east.
Mature and two immature soaring around with the ravens to the west at 2:00. A rough-legged is over the swamp. It has been a very active day!!
Seagulls up and down. I know something is out there. Yep! There is a rough-legged in the tree to the north. Ok up and down again. A male rough-legged from the south to the trees. You can usually tell when something is moving around just by the seagulls reactions. Sometimes though they spook each other to change the pecking order.
2:15-2:30 mature two immature and two rough-legged hawks in the trees playing musical trees again. Rough-legged booted out the mature eagle and vice versa.
2:45 a different mature into the perching tree where the other mature was sitting and chattering. Another mature flew to knock off an immature. Once again musical trees then poof-all headed west.
The rough-legged thought they might be able to come in for a treat but no luck back came a mature and immature. The seagulls had managed to scattered the quickly thawing meatball Jim had brought out.
Well the mature spotted a piece that looked tantalizing. So before we could even focus she tried twice to get it but to no avail.
3:45 seagull are gulping large hunks of tallow. They start playing tug of war. One got it and flew but dropped it. An immature flew over and back but then a mature out of nowhere came and snatched it up . It flew south with the immature on its tail. NO SHOTS!!!
The rough-legged is still in the maple so there is some hope. A seagull has a piece but gulped it down before the mature and immature came back over the pile. Then a raven dropped a piece to the west. The mature got it and headed west. The immature came back to the trees.
Now there are two rough-legged hawks in the maple. One left and headed west. The immature moved to a different tree. The mature now to the west in a tree. It finally flew off and headed south with the immature following.
4:45 a mature to the east dropped into the swamp. 5:20 an immature came out of the swamp to the perching tree. The mature from the south back to the trees. The rough-legged still in the maple.
5:40 the last seagull left, we thought. The immature still in the perching tree and the rough-legged in the maple. We finally called it quits with the immature still sitting on the perching tree.
I have spent eleven hours watching these birds with only fifteen -twenty minutes to shut my eyes. Along with the bright sunlight needless to say my eyes are burning. But who cares, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Just being able to be out with nature up close and personal. Sweet!!