Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Sunday, August 25, 2013

What Do Eagles Do For Fun?

One of our favorite things to do is look for Eagles.  From their near total demise in the lower forty-eight to their present removal from the "Endangered Species List" their story is quite remarkable. For the first time in history eagles have spread inland in southern Minnesota away from the Mississippi. We see them year round in Fillmore County.  As a matter of fact, a pair have nested successfully less than a half a mile from our home! We've even seen them on the ground feeding on a deer carcass in the field adjacent to our backyard.
 
 

One of our favorite places to visit is the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. This wonderful place has several rehabilitated Bald and Golden Eagles.  Unable to fly, they are ambassadors for there species.  Mrs. T and I have meet them up close and personal several times, especially during their favorite enrichment activities. I'll let the Eagle Center explain:


"Our eagles enjoy a variety of enrichment activities specifically designed to ensure they are healthy both mentally and physically. For example,  their is  Beach Day enrichment - when the eagles go down to the river for access to the Mighty Mississippi River - just like their wild cousins!  Beach Day engages all the birds' senses. It's auditory, visual, tactile, and sometimes dietary, if they are lucky enough to catch a fish! It's an ideal enrichment activity."
 
Harriet and Angel enjoying a day at the beach!
Several times when we were in the park along the river watching our eagle friends exercise, some wild eagle cousins from the Wisconsin flew over and landed in a nearby cottonwood tree. There was some calling/squawking back and forth.....  It was both beautiful and heart rending at the same time as we wished our friend Angel could fly once again.  Here she is greeting the Troutbirders. What a magnificent creature.
 
 

21 comments:

  1. bittersweet, for sure. so glad they get a feel for the old days, but they'll never get that freedom again.

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  2. I remember about 4 years ago how excited I was, on a trip to Alaska, to see a real live eagle perched on a tree branch. I'm so glad that they are now seen inland and how lucky you are to have them in your area. Truly a regal bird.

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  3. TB, I love this. Had no idea there was such a place.

    Despite not being able to fly, I bet Angel is happy. She looks contented. I don't know that my desire to fly is as great as an eagle's but it is pretty fierce and I've learned to cope. :)

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  4. I once saw a video of a man who took an injured eagle who was no longer able to fly on a tandem flight under canopy. The bird was looking all around and it made me cry to see it, both from sadness and from joy. :-)

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  5. It's great that they have a safe place to live out their lives, with as much normalcy as possible.

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  6. Super ! We have eagles that have been nesting one town over it is amazing to see them in the sky !

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  7. What a great place for them. It's sad and sweet , all at the same time!

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  8. How wonderful that they have such an amazing place to safely live out their lives. Naturally we want them totally healed and again wild but the exceptional care they are given has to be quite an acceptable second best.

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  9. We saw the same kind of situation at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center at West Yellowstone. The captive birds there just break your heart, but they're injured in some way and can never be free again.

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  10. My week-end job used to be to help out at a wildlife rehab center... it was a mixture of joy and heartbreak... a joy to see them, even to hold them while they got their shots, etc, yet feel for them when the outside birds flew over and they sat on their perches and watched.
    I wondered if they felt like I did those years I spent in a wheelchair refusing to believe I would never walk again...

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  11. What a great place! Guess I never thought of what eagles do for fun.

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  12. Eales are so majestic. It's great to see them at play.

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  13. I didn't think they ever have fun, always watching, hunting and guarding territory. They always have that serious look on their faces. What a neat post.

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  14. I wonder if they know what they are missing? Great shots Ray. xo

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  15. How cool to be so close to such a majestic bird! Fantastic!
    xo Catherine

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  16. Big, beautiful birds. A big 'well-done' to the Wildlife Rehab center and the staff. Great post.

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  17. It makes me so happy that these rehabilitated birds aren't having to spend their lives in cages. They still get to do some of the good stuff!

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  18. They are a pain in the neck up here. They were calling to young the other day while flying the currents. Not many kittys survive the summer up here...or small dogs either. So it is a good/ bad situation. I think it is great that the injured ones are used to educate the public. :)

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  19. That is an amazing place. I have never heard of it before now. The eagles are rarely seen here but one does pop up when you least expect it.

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  20. i love that photo of Harriet adn Angel. beautiful.
    you said you have a night blooming cactus? someone asked me today if they would grow in NC. what kind is yours.

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  21. Aren;t they beautiful? And you realize how huge they are when you see one perched on the arm of his handler. :)

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