Soaring Eagles

The last few weeks we have been interested in the progress of our family of Eagles. Today we were driving around in our neighborhood and there was the family enjoying high flight. Mom and pop were smooth and professional as they had twenty years of experience and there was junior.

Black in color and looking tattered and rumpled from near misses on his landings but brave and proud just to be an eagle. The inexperience showed when the gusts of wind gave him a problem but he managed. As we watched we saw the family regroup and all in a beautiful ascending motion quickly left our view. We could hardly see them as several thousand feet in the blue sky they performed their marvelous dance in the thermos.

The wood storks, buzzards and hawks seem to fill the sky these days and it is a real treat to see the natural beauty of the soaring birds.While I was golfing this morning I was treated to a flock egrets and ibis having their turn to entertain the golfers who for the most part completely oblivious to nature and its wonders.

I get in some trouble  pointing out the various birds and animals which abound on our course. We even have a panther which crosses the eighth hole on a regular basis. Perhaps the time I share with nature is the reason my handicap is higher than it should be. It feel it is a small price to pay to be one with the great force of nature.

Eagles 3, Owls 2

During the last nine years we have been watching several pair of eagles nesting and raising their young. One pair has just hatched their seventieth young ones and the other pair have been having some trouble with establishing their territory.

This pair of eagles built a nest in a beautiful tree and had success in hatching two chicks. The next year the nest took was taken over by a pair of Great Horned Owls. The following year it was eagles again  and this year the owls were there to raise their two chicks. Owls are notorious for being lazy and avoiding the work of building a nest. They steal a ready made nest from eagles or other large birds.

We are always surprised that eagles will give up their nest to owls, but they do. This year it appears to be a good year for the nesting birds but there are some problems with water levels for wading birds. When we keep score for that second nest we have it: Eagles 3 and Owls 2.

The Owl and The Eagle

We have been watching over this one nest for nine years. It has been used mostly by eagles but for a while it was rented out to a great horned owl family. This year the occupants appeared to be the eagles. However an owl has taken a stance that she would love to have the nest as well.

The other day we observed the mother eagle sitting on eggs as she has been for some time. There perched five feet above her was the great horned owl. The owl looked as if she would take the nest as her own if the eagle moved. The male eagle was away hunting but I know on its return there will be a fight for the ownership.

I would bet on the eagle maintaining ownership but we will see during the next few days. The owl is a fierce bird and will try to intimidate the eagle but the huge eagle will win out in  the end . I wish to see the owl find suitable accommodation in the near area so we will have the benefit of watching her raise her chicks in harmony with the neighborhood.

Area Discoveries

While out biking yesterday Theresa and I had an opportunity to look around our community and to see if any new birds were making their home here.Much to our surprise we observed another pair of eagles taking up residence. The female was on the nest and the male was roosting on a limb close by. This was a sure sigh that they had decided to have a family at that location. This tree is about five minutes from our home and just down street from the other eagle nest. We shall be busy this winter keeping tabs on this pair.

There are many signs of a comeback for the construction business. There seems to be some building going on everywhere. Even the commercial sector is involved and we hope that this trend keeps up. As we biked through our neighborhood we observed few if any vacant houses. The yards and property in general was neat and well kept. This was a change from a couple of years ago where numerous houses were empty and there was the appearance of abandoned properties.

Things are looking up and our area is on the mend. We are so happy that there are families are once again moving into the area and bringing new life. We hear children playing and people working on their properties. It is a good feeling.

Eagles Have Returned

Our eagles have returned to their nest and will soon become parents again. This is the ninth year that these eagles have used this nest to raise a family. At latest count some 16 babies have been added to the eagle population in this area due to their ability to provide for their youngsters.

The female eagle is rather remarkable as it had a bad accident some years ago when she wounded her wing when hitting a power line. She was treated and returned to the wild where she has lived ever since.

We make an effort to watch over these magnificent birds as they begin the life cycle once more.

Eagle Count

After a week of counting eagles in the Southwest Florida it appears that the number of chicks will be down from last year. The count for Lee County is not complete but there seems from our vantage point that our county will be about the same. We observed  two large and old nests for eight years and every year they produce two chicks except one.

This morning Theresa and I went to see the nest where one chick was weeks late in hatching. The little one has taken wing and that is good. The second nest has two chicks which will be ready to go on their own by late April. This is the first year we saw such a difference in the time of hatching. We also read that this is not unusual and there can be quite a difference in hatching times even in the same nest.

We have one empty nest very close to us and we hope that the eagles will take up housekeeping there next year.

Two years ago Great Horned Owls took over an eagle nest and hatched two babies much to our delight. .The nest of doves which we watched for some twenty days was destroyed in a moment when the young we born. We never witnessed the event but Blue Jays were close by for several days. Nature took its cruel course and we were happy to be away when it happened.

Observing nature and loving the birds can be very rewarding and here in our area there is a wonderful opportunity to do just that.

Horned Owls

Theresa and I watch over two Bald Eagle nests. It is an almost daily exercise to see them. Magnificent birds and good parents who show tough love. This winter only one nest is being used by eagles and they are presently sitting on eggs. This pair has added to the eagle population by nine over the past five years. They changed their religion once when they moved their nest from a spare lot to a Roman Catholic churchyard.

One day they just left and took most of their nest and found a perfect tree. The problem was that the area they chose was designated as a sight for a youth center. Florida law prohibits building any structure in an area where eagles live and have laid eggs. Now these birds live in a beautiful location and the church has to wait to complete its building project.

The second nest was invaded by a lazy great horned owl couple. The owls just took over the sight and are going to have a family there. We cannot wait as the fledgings of these great owls are exciting to watch. This occur ed before and we visited them often. So clumsy looking and large but make no mistake, they are powerful invaders. They, the owls are lazy and prefer to locate in already built eagle nests.

Over the next few weeks I shall take pictures and share them with you. In the meantime Theresa and I will be bird watchers and enjoy the thrill of seeing the eagles and owls raise their families.