Ground Observations - 2015 - 2016 Season, when Dad mourned Mom

[MarylandWatcher]

hi Booni:
By Grizzled you mean like Dad was last year at the end when his face got dark looking?

[boonibarb]

MarlylandWatcher, i am looking up grizzled online, but not finding quite what i was thinking of.
Mum is who i was describing as grizzled, with her shaggy head. 

[MarylandWatcher]

Thank you. It definitely looked like a different eagle than the one that arrived on the 21st.

[jungleland]

Happy Eagle New Year!  I was just looking through to see who might have returned from the salmon run.  Looks like we have some visitors.  Great pics Wren and Booni!  I am still hopeful mom will return.  If not looking for dad and Em to carry on. 

[gzebear]

Great photos, Booni and Wren ... and thanks for sharing your acute powers of observation. Details mean a lot! I often think I see a little of Mom or Dad in these eagles - Dad's eyes, Mom's expression. It's quite possible they're related somewhere on down the line ... great great great grandchildren? There must be many.

[marjy2u]

I'm sure I am imagining things or hoping for the impossible, but in Booni's second photo of the eagle in the BST, just below her description of "grizzled," I thought I could see, just above the nare, a slight imperfection, or deformity, which might be consistent with Mum's injury in the Spring (after healing).

Still, after hearing of Ozzie's demise after trying to gain back his SWF nest and being re-injured, I'm not sure I would want to see Mum have to fight off Em or others and become injured again herself. Such conflicting emotions!

[boonibarb]

 
Earlier today.
There are those stained tail feathers.
 
october 2 2015 14:23 - Eagle in The Babysitting Tree
 


& then this evening, this Eagle was on the long bare branch.

october 2 2015 18:12 - Eagle in The Babysitting Tree
 


Their head was in the shade, unfortunately.
 


This Eagle was perched near the top, in much better light.

october 2 2015 18:23 - Eagle in The Babysitting Tree
 


Interesting feather there, with two round spots on it.
 

 
link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/

[boonibarb]

 
She fleaped up a bit higher, to the left side of the Tree.
 
october 2 2015 18:26 - Eagle in The Babysitting Tree
 


Ahhh, the lower down Eagle turns into the light.
 

 

 
 
link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/

[Tigerlady105]

Lovely sight, booni!   

[amazedbyeagles]

The Eagle Season begins!  Wonderful photos!  Love how you point out tiny details!  Thank You soo very much!!! 

[boonibarb]

 
Last night i wanted so badly to go out & photograph whoever these Eagles are in that lovely light we had, but i just couldn*t get away, & then i had to go out!
i did a quick driveby of Grassy Point & spotted this Eagle, who had flown there from The Babysitting Tree not long before i got there.
Now, who do we know always seems to have a big goofy down feather stuck to his beak?
 
october 4 2015 16:59 - Eagle The His & Hers Tree
 


Not sure if that is a white mark we can watch for on the right shoulder?


 


Now today, we*d lost the light, but this Eagle, looking a lot like the one in The His & Hers Tree last night, is perched on that short stub branch of The Babysitting Tree.
This is that tough spot, where it is hard to see the Eagle*s head, unless you stand in one certain spot.

october 5 2015 17:31 - Eagle The Babysitting Tree
 


& here is the Eagle who was in the left top side of The Babysitting Tree.
 

 
link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/
 

[Cawatcher]

  Thank you booni!

[boonibarb]

 
i*ve been thinking since i took the fotos in this post, that Dad is home again.
When i was taking those fotos of the Eagle lower down, i was calling him Dad in my head.
But i had to keep correcting myself that i didn*t know for sure.
i was calling him Dad in my head when i was posting, too.
But i wanted to see Dad*s distinctive white-marked feather, before declaring that Dad is home.
Sometimes the Eagles that pass through, their offspring?, look so much like Mum & Dad, &, of course, i WANT it to be him.
Today i managed to get down there & lucked out to catch the last of the day*s tiny bit of sunlight glowing on Dad*s back & his special feather!  

october 6 2015 17:38 - Dad in The Babysitting Tree



& then the sun came out, even more.





Here*s a close up of just the feather.
i now see that there are white markings on the right & the left edges of the feather, not just the right, as i*d remembered.





link to my fotos page -  
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/

[boonibarb]

 
So, that was Dad from the back side of the Nest.
When the light faded, i drove past the water side of the Nest & spotted an Eagle in The Peters* Tree.
Here she is.

october 6 2015 18:07 - Eagle The Peters* Tree



Didn*t wren point something out about a dark feather on the back of the head at the neckline?
Is this the same thing here?




link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/

[Rajame]

(((((((((Dad)))))))))

Thank you Booni!