Woodpecker Fight

 No eagles in sight, but lots of action on the beach with this Black-billed Magpie teasing a juvenile Lewis's Woodpecker.  At first the woodpecker (115 grams) dodged the magpie's (175 grams) advances, then actually got in attack mode. He goes out "hawking" insects in the air and returning to the snag, night after night.  This was strange and amusing behavior as no food was involved. It's probably just a curious magpie playing, smart birds and right up there with crows and ravens as the cleverest in the world.

More Flathead Lake

Run Away

Yesterday I was at my desk and saw the young Bald Eagle in flight 20 yards away. Chesty our 24-year-old Harris's Hawk was out - she flies around the yard nearly every day.  Suddenly the hawk jumped off the roof over the window, giving me a start, and I ran outside. The eagle landed on the garage and Chesty knocked her right off and chased her away with that Juarassic Park scream they do so well. That's the second time I've seen her smack that eagle, and wish she wouldn't. Below he is landing/begging next to his father after eating a big dead fish on the beach.

Eagle Versus Kestrels

The fledgling Bald Eagle can be spotted nearly all day long, either on the hawk buildings, in the yard or perched in trees nearby. When I returned from Flathead Lake Sunday evening I was dismayed to discover that he had chewed a hole in the shade cloth on the roof of the kestrel building and our little male, Wes was gone. I quickly stapled up some screen over the 2 by 2 inch kennel wire, and wondered if the eagle reached in there and killed the falcon, so sad. Then I heard a kestrel in the front yard and there was Wes flying from two mobbing magpies! I ran to the garage, got a mouse and down he flew, just like feeding time in his enclosure. From dejection to elation in 15 minutes, and another miracle. I have since attached 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the open section of the roof and top walls, so no more disasters I hope.

Portraits!

Wildhorse Wildlife

Just 24 hours at my friend Barry Gordon's cabin on Flathead Lake and I took over 700 photographs! Ah, digital. Ospreys everywhere and one particularly tame Bald Eagle fledgling. Barry says that in the heat of the late summer, fish tend to hang out in the colder water on the bottom of the lake, less accessible to Bald Eagles. Ospreys completely submerge, diving deeper and are the subject of thefts from their larger shoremates. We witnessed quite a bit of aggression between the two, eagles sometimes hiding in the foliage like they do in my back yard. What a slice of heaven, Barry's cabin on the shore built by Clancy Gordon in 1963. Dad used to have Barry swim to the dock on mainland every summer, over two miles. What a feat...Either that or you can't use the boat, Barry!

Wildhorse One

Back To the Beach

Ex-nestling begging and a curious magpie. Off to Flathead Lake, Wildhorse Island to meet up with Barry Gordon and his friendly Ospreys, car loaded with cameras!

And Now For Something Completely Different

I finally had a chance to work on that painting of Sonora I started last month and finished.  Julie Chapman (July 10 Blog) and I each painted a portrait side by side and finally had a chance to bust out the oils to give it another shot. Julie will have me doing quick 60 minute paintings as an exercise, "more time and you'll just mess it up through overwork and needless noodling." I have wanted to oil paint for years with all of these models at the Raptor Ranch, but a very different mindset than welding. It has eluded and intrigued me, starting with a white canvas and adding color. Julie is my mentor, and Bill Ohrmann, both the masters. 

Bald Eagles Overhead

I just took these in the back yard, and young eagles playing 400 feet overhead. Lots more shots of tangled birds, flipping upside down and backwards. These both seem to be males and just one fledged from the nest on the beach, so who is "our" bird's pal? Not his brother! Maybe the random one that was bitten on the foot by the dad the other day. Okay, not very scientific, sorry. 

Windy Tuesday

It was about gale force winds last night, over 40 mph gusts at the airport (but who lives at the airport?) Down at the river two Ospreys were braving the winds and hunting, both adults, and I waited a half hour for the second one to fly. He missed the fish but then got in a scrap with the fledgling Bald Eagle when I packed up and headed home. The bewitching hour - right after the sun sets!

Popular Hang-out

The first photo is the fledgling eagle Saturday evening, the next is a Merlin in the exact same spot last night. She flew in with a kingbird hot on her tail, food in her left foot. Could it be another Northern Alligator Lizard (May 14th Blog)? Heck no, it's a big dragonfly consumed in a few bites. That's the first Merlin I've seen this season, and think that fall must be right around the corner, as they don't breed on this side of the divide. This is the same spot as the Biting Bald Eagle below as well!

Biter

Beach Party

Get this - about 30 nighthawks, two kestrels, three Ospreys, two Bald Eagles in flight, a Red-tail and Peregrine all in about 10 minutes on the beach last night. The clouds were changing light conditions non-stop, switching ISO and f stops, but photographed a site that made me laugh. The fledgling Bald Eagle was perched just over the old nest, weakly begging every now and then, his father perched in the big snag downstream. A random juvenile flew right in and tried to perch next to him. A little flapping and screaming and the adult reached over and bit the baby's toe! Off the youngster went to go sulk somewhere else. Plus a nighthawk, honorary raptor.