–Benjamin Disraeli
Last year Sue, my friend in Oregon sent me a link to a webcam overlooking an urban nest of redtail hawks, which I revisited frequently as the nestlings hatched, grew and eventually, with some false starts, flew out into the world.
This year Sue has outdone herself, sharing a link to another webcam overlooking a family of bald eagles. The mother, in all her federal glory, presides over a vast nest that needs only some red, white and blue bunting. There are two fuzzy gray babies. You can just make them out, next to Mama's beak.
The eagle family appears on the the Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife website.
Last year's webcam at KGW.com became active again March 28, when a pair of hawks built their nest on the fire escape of an office building in downtown Portland, apparently a favorite nesting spot. When the eggs finally hatched, revealing two cuddly white featherballs, the father showed up with a flowering weed in his beak. "Honey, you did great! I brought you some flowers." The hatchlings' first breakfast: a yummy rat.
It's early to be thinking about Mother's Day, but when I watch these mother birds sitting on their nests and carrying back morsel after morsel of food, or a dog at the Refuge nursing her puppies, I think about how much love it takes to do such boring, tiresome work day after day, only to watch the results fly away with nary a "Thanks, Mom."
4 comments:
Thanks for the links, we've been watching the Decorah Eagles. Watched 3 babies hatch a few weeks ago. http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
I've been watching the eagles, too! Every time I checked in, it looked so windy and cold and one time I even wondered if the mama was still alive. It seems she's done a great job. The babies sure are cute!
I saw an eagle hit a ground creature in my back field last winter. There was better than a foot of crusty hard snow and a foot of fresh on the ground yet it found its meal. The eagles in my area hunt in pairs, one makes a kill and shares with the other; this time there was a third party, a yearling eagle, no white head yet. The two parents were eating but would not share with their former youngster-tough love.
jomamma - Eagles are so elusive. This is the first time I've really gotten an eyeful of one, and with babies yet! Oh, the magic of technology!
Grace - That is one tough bird, all right. It's one thing to fly around and work up some body heat, but she just has to sit there motionless, especially before they hatch, up in that tree. I've been hoping to find out how high the nest is, etc. I think that's Lake Washington in the background.
Norm - Hmmm, sounds like they were ready to kick him out of the nest and he's not getting the hint. One cold look from those eagle eyes, and I'd be outta there!
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