Let's Go and Find a Bald Eagle's Nest, Miriam.....

 20 March, 2022

World Sparrow Day

     I had no idea that a day had been set aside to honour House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and in fact 20 March, 2022 was the tenth anniversary of this auspicious marker.

     In commemoration, I give you a handsome male from our backyard.

A Raptor-ous Day

     Our goal in setting out was to find a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nest reported to Miriam by her niece, Julie. As it turned out the day turned into a raptor bonanza.

     It was not long before we detected a very cooperative Merlin(Falco columbarius) perched at the  top of a tree.

     Rarely does one have the opportunity to enjoy this spectacular little falcon for ten minutes, but this was one of those days.

     Miriam moved stealthily towards it without causing it concern, and was at one point almost underneath the bird.

     We still had the Bald Eagle in mind, but we were already filled with elation.

     We are familiar with the general location of the eagle's nest as described by Julie, and had little trouble finding it. In fact a couple of old birding friends were already there when we arrived. 

     We were advised that the eggs have now been incubated for twenty-one days. Normal incubation period for a Bald Eagle is 34 - 35 days so hatching is not too far off.

     The recovery of the Bald Eagle across the continent is a sign of hope for raptorial species that are no longer persecuted by humans. Left to their own devices they have the ability to thrive. In the process they provide incredible joy to gob-smacked humans. A Bald Eagle's nest may no longer be rare; it is no less special though.

     Rough-legged Buzzards (Buteo lagopus) have for the most part left our area by now, but this individual patrolled the sky above us.

     There were of course other birds to be enjoyed. American Robins (Turdus migratorius) seem to be everywhere, feeding together and starting to pair off in anticipation of breeding.

     Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) were not hard to find either.

     Areas that mere days ago were still snow-covered are now bare, soon to green up as the magical transformation to spring occurs.

     Rapidly flowing streams and rivers, swollen by snow melt, carried Common Mergansers (Mergus mergansers) on the current.

Common Merganser ♂

Common Merganser ♀

     And there were more Horned Larks.

     We circled back to take another look at the eagle's nest and this shot will give you an idea of how distant the nest is from the only convenient vantage point to see it.

     The bird on the nest had turned to face the other way. 

      Both sexes share incubation duties but the female does most of the daytime shift.

      Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), that most delightful of plovers, scurried around sodden fields and ploughed land.

     In continuation of our good fortune with raptors we thought ourselves exalted when this handsome Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) did not immediately fly off, not exhibiting the usual healthy caution hawks have for humans who throughout history have signalled death from the barrel of a gun.

     Our final raptor of the day was an American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) in an area where we have seen a pair in the past. I suspect they breed there, but I can't confirm it. This is one species that is very difficult to photograph. Almost as soon as you stop the car they fly off. 

Fairy Blogmother

     As you know, I recently had a makeover on my blog, and I am delighted with its new, clean look and greatly improved functionality. I was ably assisted in this endeavour by Linda Primmer, the Fairy Blogmother.

     Linda is kind, considerate, patient, competent, unflappable, charming, friendly and reasonable in every way. I have no hesitation in saying that if you too need a new look, don't hesitate to contact Linda with complete confidence.

www.myfairyblogmother.com

www.lifeandlinda.com

A Great Way to End the Day

     A little while after arriving home, right after dinner in fact, we watched a You Tube video of a Berlin Philharmonic performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Daniel Barenboim conducting and  Yitzhak Perlman as the featured soloist. Surely this kind of music is one of the hallmarks of western civilization; a civilization one had reason to question  not so many years ago, and given what is happening in Ukraine, one cannot help but think that the veneer of civilization is precariously thin.

     There is clear irony that two unbelievably talented Jewish musicians were performing with Germany's finest orchestra, one of the greatest orchestras in the word in fact, when mere years ago they would have been dispatched to the gas chambers, or perhaps have fallen victim to the Einzatzgruppen. 

     And now, we have another Jew, desperate to save his country from the aggression of another psychopath, calling on the world for help, and watching as his cities are destroyed and people are being slaughtered or forced to flee. We have been here before. We never learn, do we?

     Better I focus on the birds and the music, on the joy they bring. It's hard not to despair for the future of humanity, however.