Rolling through November

I tried to cover my firewood-to-be pile with a 16x20 foot tarp today.   It's a bit small.

Looking toward the back of the stack.

The rest of the stck.

And from the front towards the back.

That is what has been occupying my days and using all my energy lately.   The electric company sent a contractor in to clear all trees and overhanging branches from its easements.   The cut down a number of trees along my property and in front of my neighbors, who kindly said I could have their felled trees.


In the mean time, bald eagles have gathered down the road at Tern Lake where silver salmon are spawning and dying. 

In all the years I have been around Tern Lake, I always looked to this branch that sticks out over from the trees at left, hoping to see an eagle perched on it.   I've seen many mew gulls, magpies, and ravens there, but never until Monday did I see the eagle!

And the moon rise a couple nights ago.

Rainy, Windy, and Foggy

Went on a whale-watching cruise Sunday out of Seward, in the hope of seeing gray whales.

This is what we saw:

There were a few glances of a young humpback:

Oh, a dorsal fin!

Another of the dorsal fin.

And a wee bit of a tail.

The best action was on shore while waiting for the cruise boat to board.   A sub-adult bald eagle was chased by gulls and decided it wanted to land on the same boat mast where another bald eagle was perched.

Either that or it was running to mommy....

Sitting there, minding its own business

Here comes the sub adult, flying away from the gulls.

Looking for a place to escape the pesky gulls.

The adult turns to face the incoming eagle

Hard to tell one eagle from the other.

The adult stayed put and the youngster went to another mast.

So, there was more action onshore than off this day.


Unless, of course, you enjoy watching rainwater pour off the upper deck of the cruise boat.

Food Fight, The Finale (Part Three)

There isn't much left of a silver salmon that has been the ultimate prize in a number of eagle fights.  Right now, a young eagle successfully challenged a fourth year eagle,  but I think the salmon fell off the log into the water.

Nonetheless, the youngster finds a few bits to eat, but first it looks around carefully to see if another eagle is going to fight.   There are two adult eagles and two immature eagles across the pond in the deep dried grass.   An adult sits atop a highway sign with a binoculars icon, and across the Seward Highway, four eagles are perched in trees.

Once it's assured there's no in-coming, and with nothing to eat, it ..............   Takes a bath!

About this time, some guy gets out of his vehicle and all the eagles leave.   If he'd done that sooner,I'm not sure what I would have done.

They don't mind the passing cars.   Most of the time, they don't mind a vehicle that is stopped.   But like the swans and ducks at Tern Lake, once you get out of your vehicle and within a certain distance (determined by them only) they take to the skies.

And that is the end of the eagle food fight.   No eagles were harmed in the making of the montage, and several were fed fresh salmon.

Food Fight continued, Round Three or Four or Whatever

I've lost track of how many times possession of a bedraggled silver salmon has changed.   As we begin this part of the wildlife show, an adult eagle has successfully taken back the fish from an immature eagle.

The defeated eagle swims to shore and makes its way through the dried grass.   Also in the grass isn another immature and two adults.   Across the Seward highway are four eagles perched in trees.   I am parked on the narrow shoulder of the Sterling highway, directly across from the log where all these battles are taking place.   There are several other vehicles here, too.


To set the scene:

This is the lower junction of the Sterling and Seward highway at Tern Lake.   The highway on the left is the Sterling; the highway on the right, behind the guard rail, is the Seward highway north to Anchorage.   Note the binoculars sign on the right.  Also note the partially submerged log, center right in the photo.   That is where the action takes place. 

Incidentally, in the trees at the far end of the pond there is a bald eagle sitting on top a spruce tree.   The white spot is its head.

The eagle-in-possession tears off chunks and strips of fish flesh as a magpie waits for bits to come within its reach..

Note the body language of the eagle in the above photo.   It is stretched up, trying to swallow a huge piece of fish.   Does it remind you of hot dog eating contestants?

Here comes a magpie.

Two wet  immature eagles sulk in the dried grass across the pond.

An immature eagle dives in and takes the salmon.

I know it's out of focus, but I include it to show the change of possession.

But not for long.....

It leaps up to meet the challenge.   (Note the talons at the far left of the photo.)

A fourth-year eagle, just showing white in the head and tail feathers, fights for the fish.

Then crows about it.

Oh, no.  Not in its face!   That's rude.

An adult watches from the side of the pond.

The crowing continues.....

The immature eagle didn't have time for one bite when it had the fish so it attacks again.

And re-takes what's left of the salmon.

A raven watches from a guard rail post above the pond and magpie from the ground.

Directly across from me, an adult watches from the top of this sign.

No binoculars needed to see this battle.

All observed by a cautious young eagle.

(to be continued)