Food for a growing family

Breeding Activity

The eagles have been active around the nest these last few weeks adding branches and spending time fixing house. I caught them copulating on several occasions and am convinced they are now incubating eggs. I have been fortunate, while having coffee, to watch a nest change, sharing incubation. These are the latest images.

A Familiar Pheasant Returns

We only usually see them once a year in the spring when the males are thinking of breeding and fighting each other for the females but this beautiful male Silver Pheasant showed up yesterday, picking up seeds fallen from my feeders. He looks magnificent in his new black and white's.

Back After A Break

I was out walking Neck Point yesterday, one of my local patch parks and apart from the usual species a flock of Red Crossbills were feeding at the top of the conifers while a Pacific ( Winter ) Wren was searching under and around the logs on the beach and the Chestnut-backed Chickadee's and Ruby-crowned Kinglets seeked out insects in the understory. Harlequin Ducks rode the waves and Red-breasted Mergansers rested off Sunset Beach.

 I caught our eagles perched together this morning on the topmost branch of the nest tree taking in the sites during a spell of sunshine.

 As they took off several minutes later a immature came in for a brief visit and I managed to capture him as he flew off.

Last visit to Buttertubs Marsh in Sept. 2012

The leaves are turning and the mornings are cooler. A large flock of Canada Geese along with American Wigeon had flown in to share the marsh with Hooded Mergansers, Mallard and Pied-billed Grebes.  I watched a Merlin chasing the last of the Dragonflies over the water and found a group of Woodies in a quiet stretch of the Millstone River.