Raptor Tracking -Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks

 Enough with winter, I headed over to the conservation area just outside Brodhead, WI.

 See the  juvenile Eagle?  Midway up the tree on the left. That's the use of juvenile as in fledged last season.  See her center?
What I didn't notice right away was the mature one in the same tree.

 See her center?

How about now?  She's peering at me from her blind.

 This is part of the scene the two Eagles appear to be watching.

 Evidentally the prey isn't cooperating because they keep sitting and watching.  Plus the mature Eagle keeps looking down at the young Eagle.  I begin to wonder if White Head thinks the youngster isn't helping matters as she is so obvious.  If you are fishing it doesn't matter so much but hunting birds  is a different thing altogether.  Or perhaps there is prey beneath them but then one would thing at the younger bird would be watching that as well.

They sit, they watch, I move on.

 There are Canada Goose everywhere.  There are on the move and every body of water, soggy fields, and mushy depressions are full of them.

The Teneyke EagleNest.

Both of the Bald Eagle pair are at home.  Mom on the right and Dad on the left.  

 I wait.



Then I wait some more.
It doesn't appear that they are going to do anything as long as I'm watching them.  


It's a stand off. 

 I decide to head around the corner to the alternative view.

But by the time I get round the corner to the alternative view, only Mom is up there.

Then I wait some more.  They really aren't going to do anything today if I'm watching. 

 Interesting.

Therefore I begin to take pictures in which the nest is not my focal point.

The edge of the field.

The far end of the field.

 The road.  I turn the camera back to the nest.  Next up... the nest.

Ta da!  Yup. You guessed it.  Dad is back. 

Sigh.  There is a reason for the expression "eagle eye".

They see so well they just wait for my eye to be elsewhere. 

FINE.  Time to check out the Seventh Post Red-tail Nest. 

 See it?

 It still appears that no one is home as yet.  I head back to the conservation area.

 Super!  She hasn't flown away yet.

 She is perched in a tree much closer to to the foraging waterfowl.

 TO BE CONTINUED...

D.B.

AND IN CASE YOU WANT AN EASY VIEW OF A NESTING PAIR....

 Decorah Eagle Cam
 http://www.news8000.com/news/decorah-eagle-cam/10958