Way to Go

I was eating lunch about half-way across Haleakala crater on Maui last August. At my feet were two specimens of an endangered species--the Hawaiian goose (Nene).

Ranger Ted sat down beside me and said, "You know you're supposed to stay a hundred feet away from an endangered species, don't you?"

I looked at Ted, looked at the two geese at my feet begging for goodies, and replied, "I can't help it if these geese can't measure."

Ditto with the bald eagle. Fortunately for everyone who drive the Sterling highway between Anchor Point and Ninilchik, the eagles were taken of the endangered species list three years ago, otherwise every single person would be in violation of the law. As it is, eagles are still protected by the Migratory Bird Act, and you can get in a lot of trouble getting to close to them and their nests.

Well, someone forgot to tell the eagles about the regulations.



That's an eagle nest right alongside the highway. And, with this being eagle mating season, there's one waiting by the nest.




So what are we hearing on the news today? The sex habits of eagles are much in the news. They mate by locking talons while flying high in the air, then spiraling downward, letting go at the last minute to pull out of their dives.

Two eagles in Valdez got so carried away they forgot to let go and crashed beaks first into a hard snowbank. The female was injured and taken to the Alaska Bird Treatment and Learning center in Anchorage for rehab.

The male? Didn't make it. Most males would consider that a good way to go.