Bald Eagles at Hammond Lake

Saturday the Tiadaghton Audubon Society is going to be doing its Christmas Bird Count. Terry and I are supposed to go over to Ives Run recreation area on Hammond lake and Crooked Creek to do our counting of species and individuals. The weather is not looking real great. Anywhere from 7 to 10 inches of snow are forecast for Friday and Friday night. It's not likely the Corps of Engineers will have cleared the road into the area let alone that we will be able to navigate some of the roads that are not maintained during the winter. (Even with a 4-wheel drive truck, I'm not crazy.)

I went over there this morning to see what was about and found the roads and parking lots cleared to the ground. I'm sure they won't be that way on Saturday. The Lake is still lowered although there seemed to be a bit more water than the last time I was there. Much of the water in the lake is frozen over and only Crooked Creek and the waters at its mouth seem to be open.

And sitting in a tree looking over the open water were a pair of mature Bald Eagles. Whether they were there because it afforded an excellent perch from which to fish, or scavenge any dead thing that floated by, or because from there they could hunt a Canada Goose from the huge flock gathered on the ice and exposed bars on the other side of the open water channel, I don't know. I drove past and turned around before stopping the truck and taking out my camera. The Eagles didn't move. I snapped several pictures from inside the truck (motor off to eliminate vibrations) and then stepped out of the truck to take some more. That's when the Eagles started paying attention to me. One turned its head to eye me and later shifted on the branch to look face me more directly. And I was a good two hundred yards away.

Bald Eagles at Hammond Lake