Althouse: Only because the eagle swooped over my head before landing up there did I see him at all and notice the second eagle.

March 27, 2024

Only because the eagle swooped over my head before landing up there did I see him at all and notice the second eagle.

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23 comments:

Wince said...: Where Eagles Dare.; 3/27/24, 8:00 AM
Quaestor said...: At least one of them is a sexually mature individual though I doubt the two are a mated pair. By this time in Wisconsin mated bald eagles are already incubating eggs, which means one of the couple is on the nest at all times.

The second eagle appears to be a juvenile, though the published photo doesn't have enough resolution to make certain of that. Assuming my observation is correct, this is an example of "get off my lawn" territoriality. Mated pairs spend more time expelling intruders from their hunting range than anything else except brooding eggs and newborn eyasses.; 3/27/24, 8:13 AM
Quaestor said...: At least one of them is a sexually mature individual though I doubt the two are a mated pair. By this time in Wisconsin mated bald eagles are already incubating eggs, which means one of the couple is on the nest at all times.

The second eagle appears to be a juvenile, though the published photo doesn't have enough resolution to make certain of that. Assuming my observation is correct, this is an example of "get off my lawn" territoriality. Mated pairs spend more time expelling intruders from their hunting range than anything else except brooding eggs and newborn eyasses.; 3/27/24, 8:14 AM
Mr. O. Possum said...: ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –; 3/27/24, 8:19 AM
rehajm said...: We’re thick with eagles, too…and other raptors. There were ospreys hanging around the nest at the end of the street but now they’re in the pine trees around my house. Noisy…

…two owls had a long conversation yesterday afternoon. Probably why there’s no takers at by bluebird box…; 3/27/24, 8:21 AM
Gerda Sprinchorn said...: That's the way eagles operate. You're not supposed to see them until its too late.; 3/27/24, 8:29 AM
hombre said...: We have bald eagles aplenty here on the Mogollon Rim. It's a thrill to see them.; 3/27/24, 8:32 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Good luck is in your future.; 3/27/24, 8:45 AM
Chris said...: Thick with american bald eagles in our neck of the woods. Seems not so endangerd huh.; 3/27/24, 9:20 AM
Dave Begley said...: Lucky they didn't swoop down and pluck you up by your hair.; 3/27/24, 9:33 AM
rehajm said...: Lucky they didn't swoop down and pluck you up by your hair.

They’re kind of lazy. They seem content sitting beside the road eating from a torn trash bag. It’s a little disconcerting, like watching Gal Gadot eat from dirty dishes on a bus tray in the hall…; 3/27/24, 11:12 AM
Rusty said...: I'm trying to remember when we had the first mating pair here. It has to more than 20 years ago. Now we have, I think, ten. Probably more.
I don't think they're all that common around Madison either.; 3/27/24, 12:19 PM
lonejustice said...: Bald Eagles are scavengers. It is always a bit disconcerting for me when I see this beautiful bird, symbol of our great country, eating rotting roadkill along the roads, or eating dead, bloated livestock out in the fields.; 3/27/24, 1:28 PM
NKP said...: That's the way eagles operate. You're not supposed to see them until its too late.

Late one long-ago November day, I was hiking solo on a narrow trail out beyond Stechelberg. I wasn't too thrilled about the exposure on my left but nothing could diminish my joy; verging on euphoria.

Complete silence. Only deep blue sky, golden sun and blackening shadow. And, in every direction, nature's most exquisite creation. This beautiful world was mine alone, at least for a precious hour or two. And yet, as I moved steadily ahead there seemed a "presence".

I knew it to be there but I could not see it and I could not hear it. I looked all around. Nothing. After a good while I looked up (I have a bit of vertigo and avoid doing this while walking on the edge of a cliff).

There, about 15 feet directly above was an awesome sight: a huge Golden Eagle drifting along with me. The "sound" suggesting a presence was coming from long powerful wings that stroked the air now and then.

All this beauty and wonder aside, it was not lost on me that if my hiking companion was a bit larger or I was a bit smaller, great excitement may have ensued :-) I will remember that walk forever.; 3/27/24, 3:52 PM
gadfly said...: Scientists say: "Climate change is altering Earth's rotation enough to mess with our clocks."

Wrong.

"Earth takes about 24 hours to rotate, but the keyword is "about."

For thousands of years, the Earth has been generally slowing down, with the rate varying from time to time, said [geophysicist Duncan] Agnew and Judah Levine, a physicist for the time and frequency division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The slowing is mostly caused by the effect of tides, which are caused by the pull of the moon...

This didn’t matter until atomic clocks were adopted as the official time standard more than 55 years ago. Those didn’t slow."; 3/27/24, 4:15 PM
MadTownGuy said...: Sen. Fetterman on X:

"https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1772962376687468759?t=km8jdw29VHPkwawdkP3tZA&s=19">Israeli hostage says she was raped and tortured in Gaza (NYT)

"Some members of Congress won't condemn this. Some dismissed this as 'propaganda'. The UN won't even condemn Hamas.

Hamas is not a group of 'militants' or engaging in 'insurgency'—just rapists and cowards hiding behind innocent civilians."; 3/27/24, 4:46 PM
MadTownGuy said...: Former Senator Joe Lieberman dead at 82 from complications after fall

"Former Senator Joe Lieberman has died at the age of 82.

According to the Washington Post, his family said the former Connecticut senator and Al Gore's vice presidential pick in 2000 died from complications from a fall."; 3/27/24, 4:50 PM
Quaestor said...: lonejustice writes, "It is always a bit disconcerting for me when I see this beautiful bird, symbol of our great country, eating rotting roadkill along the roads, or eating dead, bloated livestock out in the fields."

Why? Because the birds beat you to the free feast?; 3/27/24, 6:08 PM
Mikey NTH said...: Once several years ago I was shoveling the drive and looked up "Wow, that's a big bird; why does it have a white head oh my goodness." I live just west of Lansing near the Grand River.; 3/27/24, 6:13 PM
boatbuilder said...: Eagles are always fascinating.

Lots of them here on the Connecticut River near Hartford. More and more every year.; 3/27/24, 6:30 PM
Narayanan said...: Bald Eagles are scavengers.
=================
as symbol of nation : ?virtuously vulturous?; 3/27/24, 10:20 PM
Rusty said...: lonejustice said...
Ever see one take a duck on a river? It's spectacular. First there's a lot of feathers and quacking and then there isn't.; 3/27/24, 10:30 PM
Rusty said...: This got me thinking back when I was kid. I've lived in this general area most of my life and I remember whaen there was a time when there were no geese and very few ducks. A deer sighting was rare. Missisaugua rattlesnakes were common. There were ,"rattlesnake roundups" in the DesPlaines River valley.; 3/28/24, 10:12 AM