TELULAH PARK EAGLE NEST
APPLETON, WISCONSIN - 2004
April 2, 2004 - After waiting for two hours, watching the first eagle
peak its head up once in a while, the second one finally showed up (pic 1) with some food (muskrat?), as I expected.Then
(pic 2) what I call "I can hear your heartbeat." Then (pic 3) a shot of both of them on the edge, and (pic 4) a shot of the
first one taking off for a while. It came back in thirty minutes, but landed about four trees away from the nest, and was
still there when I left thirty minutes later.
April 3, 2004 - While waiting for anything to happen, the noon whistle
sounded, during which, the eagle in the nest screeched persistently, like a dog howls at police sirens going by. When the
second one came back, after about an hour of waiting, it never landed in the nest while I was there, but instead, flew
around the park, and sat in various other trees. I noticed it was banded around the ankles.
April 15, 2004 - Pic 1) What I think is some kind of gesture from the
male, offering food to the female, Pic 2) A neat shot of one of them taking off (note the leftover immature pattern on top
of the head) Pic 3) Later, the one remaining in the nest started screaming up a storm, I looked up, and noticed
Pic 4) A third bald eagle, flying directly over the nest. A great shot of the transsition from immature, to adult pattern.
May 14,2004 - There are leaves on the trees and three eaglets in the
nest. Pic 1) 2:01PM One of the eaglets on the edge of the nest. Pic 2) 2:24PM One of the adults arrives with a fish in its
talon. Pic 3)A nice landing shot, a fraction of a second later. Pic 4) 2:28PM Tearing the fish apart for the little ones. Pic 5) 3:09PM Look close and you will see a branch(?) in its
talon, and another in its mouth.
May 15, 2004 - Pic 1) 2:46PM He came from the left, with a fish, and
dropped through the top of the tree, rather than coming in from the opposite side of me like he usually does. Pic 2) 3:09PM
This time he entered the nest from my side of the tree, with a great shot of the fish.
May 26, 2004 - Pic 1 & 2) One of the adults in a nearby tree, and
then zoomed in. Pic 3 & 4) After two hours of waiting, I was getting in my car, to go to Taco Bell, when one came back with
a rabbit. I got a couple out-of-focus shots, without the tripod. Pic 5) While eating a fish, one of the little ones bit off
a little more than he could choke down, and Pic 6) A little one cooperating for me, and getting in the sun.
June 3, 2004 - Pic 1) One of the adults sitting in a nearby tree,
then, Pic 2) above the nest. Pic 3) Flying almost directly over me. Pic 4) Landing at the nest with a bullhead. Pic 5) A
little one streaching out, and flapping his wings, with another in front, trying to get in the picture.
June 4, 2004 - Pic 1) A good size comparison of Mom and Jr. Pic 2)
Jr. flapping his wings, while Mom sits too close, and gets beaten in the face. Pic 3) Dad comes back with a fish, and Mom
gets what she can before the kids get ahold of it. Pic 4) Dad takes off again.
June 18,2004 - Pic 1&2) A couple shots of an adult with a fish,
before it lands in the nest. Pic 3) A cute shot of two of the little ones. Pic 4) A shot of a little one flapping its wings.
Upon returning home from work on the evening of June 27TH, I had an
email from one of the many great people I've gotten to know at the park, saying one of the eaglets is flying! The pictures
below are from the next day, June 28TH.
June 28, 2004 - Its second day out of the nest, Pic 1) sitting on some small
twigs, rather than the larger limb next to them, trying to keep his balance in the wind. Pic 2&3) Taking off to a nearby tree.
Pic 4) Crash! Another landing that could be heard throughout the park. He's still trying to land on the smaller twigs on the
very outside of the trees, and then tumbling into the center. It ended up in a "reclined" position, feet straight out
grasping a twig, unable to close its wings over some branches, and head stretched out to see over some leaves. It took him
about ten minutes to get straightened up, with better footing. Not a situation you see a majestic Bald Eagle get into every day.
Some of his more graceful moments that day:
July 4,2004 - Pic 1) An immature at the tip of a tree. Pic 2) Two
immatures together in a tree, trying to keep their balance during a strong breeze. Pic 3) An immature on a low limb,
letting everyone get directly undrneath him. Pic 4) An immature in the nest, where they are still spending the nights.
November 23, 2004 - I was recently tipped off from someone that I met
earlier in the year, that, now that the leaves are gone, the two adults can be seen after dark every evening, roosting in the
trees near the nest, silhouetted against the night sky. I got to the park at 5:30, and immediately found both eagles where
I could easily put them against the almost full moon. By the time I went back to my car to get my camera, and got set up,
only one was left.
MAY WE ALWAYS HAVE EAGLES...
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