Eagle Daily

March 22, day 14. March 9 was when Diane and I saw the bald eagle for the first time. We had just stepped out our front door to go for our walk when he flew from across the street and went right over our rooftop! He seemed clearly destined to cross the river toward the arboretum. After 3 consecutive days of that scene playing out, I decided to investigate further. I wrote Taylor Sturm who has given me good advice regarding their behavior so I did some careful observing from the dock at Dowling and voilá... there he was! Only now, I was observing two birds and, as I suspected, one was a juvenile, or soon to be adult, as he seemed to be developing the characteristic white head and tail. I say that I suspected that one was a juvenile because I had seen him before from a distance, but thought it was not an eagle as he lacked the proper coloring.

We were soon to be informed by Taylor that the birds were indeed a pair and were establishing a nest. And not 300 yards from my house! Since then I have spent a part of each day observing the eagles from across the river at Dowling or at the park itself.

Today, Diane and I took a walk to the arboretum to do our observing. We were within sight of the nest from about 3:30 - 4:30. When we arrived, we observed no activity. The nest seems to be deep enough to completely hide the birds so there there have often been periods of time when nothing is visible.

Within 5 minutes, the mature eagle arrived and settled on a perch about 6 feet beneath the nest. Right behind him came and osprey who circled around a bit and then took off across the river. We observed the eagle sitting out on that branch for the next 45-50 minutes of so. At times, the nesting bird poked his head through the nesting material and it humorously appeared that the two birds were having a conversation. I'm already having a difficult time distinguishing the juvenile bird from the mature one. I think his coloring is changing rapidly.

At any rate, it is apparent that something is going on in this nest as one bird is always stationed there while the partner is often out and about. I keep referring to both birds as "him" because it's an easy pronoun to use and because I'm not sure which is male and which is female. I hope to know more in the future!

Monday, March 23
Looked across the river at 8am and didn't see any activity. It was cold and windy, so I moved on.

Tuesday, March 24
Same experience as previous day.
At 2pm, Diane and I watched one eagle soar high up into the sky over the upper Connetquot River before he flew off to the east.
6:30pm - Observed nest from Dowling for about 20 minutes. No activity.

Wednesday, March 25
6pm observed nest from Dowling. Met the provost who stopped to chat about the birds and waterfowl he spots from his office. He is very knowledgeable and knows all about our eagles. This evening, I spotted one bird tending to nest repair. He would fly off every few minutes after working on the nest to go gather more material. He flew north the other part of the arboretum and was gone for about 2 minutes, so he never went far. At various intervals he perched on a nearby tree by the river.

Saturday, March 28
Snowed all day. No sightings

Sunday, March 29
3pm sighted mature eagle soaring over neighborhood across from IH school

Monday, March 30
8am sighted one eagle seated on top of nest

Monday, April 6
We had a week of many sightings and some days of nothing. Mostly, our sightings were of soaring eagles or of an eagle on the nest.
8 am - spotted one bird seated high on the nest. He soon took off as they seem to do with wings flapping as they descend from the nest and behind the trees. As soon as one bird left the nest, I spotted the other sitting up for a brief time. I thought the first bird was off seeking nesting material or to a perch, but within a minute I noticed the big bird flying in my direction across the river. As he got quite close, he clearly invaded osprey space, because he was met head on by an osprey from the Dowling roof nest. They proceeded to battle right above my head and then off behind trees in the east.
11:00 - From our deck, I witnessed yet another osprey vs eagle battle. The birds were visible for several minutes before they disappeared up river. Their battle consists of the osprey being the aggressor. He continued to circle and fly in for the attach while the eagle's defense consisted of turning upside down and baring his talons at the attacking bird. Really fascinating stuff. All the while, it seems that other birds (maybe crows?) are nearby chasing one or both birds. It also feels like the ospreys are defending their turf from the eagles who they clearly don't like. After having the run of the neighborhood, the eagles now seem to have a competition with the return of the ospreys. Maybe there are other problems since the eagles did steal an osprey nest.

Tuesday, April 7
8am - This morning there was a light rain and the river was quiet save for a solitary osprey hovering high over the college calling and swooping down at regular intervals. This behavior is accompanied by extended legs. It goes on for several minutes, but I'm not sure what it means. I used to think it had to do with hunting, but the birds never really dive and they are inclined to do this over land as well as water.
Later, I noticed a large bird across the river on top of a dead tree where I have seen an osprey perch with regularity. The bird was partly obscured so I assumed it was an osprey, but there was a clear white head that I saw move regularly so I wonder if it may have been our eagle. Is he challenging the osprey by swiping a favorite perch?

Six Inches of Spring

Like confectioner’s sugar, snow powdered down for 24 consecutive hours. Only it wasn’t so sweet, was it? I can’t remember ever hearing/seeing more complaints about a spring time snow storm. Man, are we tired of winter? We're apoplectic in our rage! Storm following storm, freezing our rivers, bays and streams.

But what, you just got here? This is spring! Spring on Long Island, baby! Eliot told you “April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land”. Easy for you to say, T.S. You left our shores for a home on the high side of 50°N, where spring is civilized. I learned that lesson visiting London one February with the daffodils in bloom, the roses in bud, and the grass green and cut.

Down here at 40°N, we know from cruel. Winter guarantees cold and bitter winds, so Eliot was right to say that, in its own convoluted way, "Winter kept us warm”. 

Spring, however, is expected to perform! Its failure leaves us pained and grieving. But if you don’t like our spring snow, just wait for 43°F and drizzly. And windy. For days. Because that’s what the cruelest months offer.

I'll argue the Northeast gets the latest Spring in the northern hemisphere, with the cold Atlantic keeping us in the fog and chill. Oh, we get those beautiful days in May and sometimes even in April, but they’re rare and fleeting. A tease. 

No, late June is when I finally get comfortable in this town. My bones warm by then and I'll inhale the fragrant scent of our air and listen for the racket in the trees, fully garbed at last. Spring has always been overrated, too fondly remembered. It’s the ultimate tease, brightening daily, but warming oh, so slowly. And that drizzle…. 

So I’ll survive this snow, knowing this is winter’s adieu. It’s the impending mist and chill of the next 90 days that I dread.