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Friday, November 26, 2010

Eagles and Ducks galore!

Today turned out to be a much better day than had been predicted.

Morning

The snow did turn to rain over night and the temperature did rise to above freezing, so everything was a little slushy…but it stayed dry.

Eagles and Gull

Bald Eagles were everywhere.  Here an adult while a juvenile enjoys some breakfast…and I’m not sure on that gull…that one definitely had black wing tips…

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another adult sat over this way and all those black dots out there are – you guessed it – eagles!

Hoodies in foreground 

and there were ducks – masses of ducks…

Heron and ducks

In fact, at lunch time, when I took this picture which, of course, includes a Great Blue Heron, I counted 162 ducks just in this area.  I have never seen so many Hooded Mergansers (52 to be exact), American Wigeon, Mallard, 8 Gadwall, and a Common Merganser.

Mainly Hoodies

I just can’t get over the numbers of Hoodies.  Any day now some Bufflehead should be showing up as well, as a small flock normally winters in this little stretch of water – for some reason they don’t usually appear until December, although there are lots out on the open river right now.

The log bay

Here was today’s wintery look at the log bay….look at how low the water is…it is now at about the lowest level it ever gets…

Eagle Trees

Looking south from the log bay was this amazing sight….

18 in this one

The one tree held at least 18 Bald Eagles (they kept coming and going)

at least 26 in this one

and the second held at least 26 with more in trees behind and beside…

3 a bit closer

These 3 were perched quite close to where I was standing.  It may seem I am going over board on the Eagles, but they will only be here for another month or so….we have to celebrate their presence while they are here.

Out on the flats

There is a look at just one very small section of the flats today…looks like about 32 of them out there in that spot…

Heron and ducks

and heading back home, one more look at the Heron, a Mallard, a Hoodie, and a pair of Wigeons in the back.  I keep thinking that a Eurasian Wigeon has to show up soon…I hope the weather holds, the ducks hang around and I get a chance to get down there with some binoculars to take a good look! 

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