I heard the angry scream of an eagle behind me.
Turning around I missed the shot of a two or 3 year old eagle speeding through the trees.
What I did get was this 4 year old eagle.
Mad, angry, and in pursuit of the immature eagle that had preceded it past my line of sight.
I have no idea of why the chase but it sure set my heart racing.
diamanté immature osprey in the blue light of dawn
Here is a closeup of the harassed immature red-tailed hawk from this morning.
He is keeping a sharp eye on the squawking crows – who are just outside of the photo’s edge.
I watched him for close to an hour. He rested at several points but the crows would find him again. He finally yelled at the crows and flew up and over the trees, heading south. The hawk was not in any physical danger – the crows know just how far they can push the envelope. And the gangsters acknowledge the hawk’s ability to turn tail on a dime and strike them, although birds are not the red-tail’s preferred food. The crows also knew that this was an immature bird and that they were in less danger from it than if it had been an experienced mature bird. The hawk was frustrated but not hurt.
The gangster crows easily found this immature red-tailed hawk this morning.
I believe this may be a migrating hawk.
He didn’t seem to know the area and didn’t know how to evade the black menaces.
I saw several hawks today: red-tails, red-shoulders, and I believe a broad-winged hawk too.
The changing weather patterns up the northeast are driving the migratory birds south, early this year.
I was out with the Army Corps of Engineers during their part of the annual hydrilla survey.
Hydrilla is a nasty invasive plant in lakes and waterways.
Around the bend came a fledgling eaglet.
He was very concentrated on his prize – a piece of pine bough.
The fledglings of eagles and ospreys both have a habit of doing this.
I am not sure why the urge to pick up and carry – maybe practice for catching fish, maybe for future nest building.
Or, just sheer curiosity on the young one’s part.
When he suddenly saw the boat, the startled eaglet dropped the branch and disappeared over the tree line.
doc ellen's journey 