tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10013142.post-72145244194436919672008-03-10T12:56:00.002-05:002008-03-10T14:44:42.282-05:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yj2JE1tFssM/R9WFT_4a9mI/AAAAAAAAA7A/O5UhnUly4dk/s1600-h/eagle206.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yj2JE1tFssM/R9WFT_4a9mI/AAAAAAAAA7A/O5UhnUly4dk/s320/eagle206.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176189925344343650" /></a><br /><br />My Yard List has a Bald Eagle on it, does yours?<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yj2JE1tFssM/R9WFDv4a9lI/AAAAAAAAA64/LU9DOWlAU0o/s1600-h/eagle203.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yj2JE1tFssM/R9WFDv4a9lI/AAAAAAAAA64/LU9DOWlAU0o/s320/eagle203.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176189646171469394" /></a><br /><br />Hee hee hee.<br /><br />We actually got two new yard birds yesterday -- the other was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Collared_Dove">Eurasian Collared Dove</a> (<i>Streptopelia decaocto</i>). But this immature <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Bald_Eagle_dtl.html">Bald Eagle</a> (<i>Haliaeetus leucocephalus</i>) was the big surprise.<br /><br />We are sometimes liberal in what we consider our "yard", but if we can see it (without binoculars!) from the kitchen table, there's no question.<br /><br />This beautiful creature has visited us three times since yesterday afternoon. Twice, he was chased off by a pair of Red-shouldered hawks that persisted in dive-bombing the poor thing. He didn't appear overly worried until the actual body-slamming began. <br /><br />The hawks looked so tiny next to him. They must have a nest nearby... I've seen lots of Bald Eagles, but have never seen them mobbed by hawks.<br /><br />The Eagle chased off a Great Blue Heron this morning, before settling onto this perch to be poorly digiscoped. He eyed a large fish lying on the ground (more about this tomorrow), then was in turn driven away by the hawks (with Blue Jay backup).<br /><br />More on this saga later, including why (I think) the Eagle came to call in the first place.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10013142-7214524419443691967?l=rurality.blogspot.com'/></div>Ruralityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06616461213179182660noreply@blogger.com15