APPLETON, WISCONSIN - 2005
February 12, 2005 - I've been told that all the feeding, and nest remodeling is done in the morning, but I didn't get there until the afternoon, when they were just hanging around the park, posing for all the photographers. No eggs to sit on yet.
February 26, 2005 - One eagle sitting on the eggs, and the other soaring in circles above the park. I met someone there from the DNR, that said the eggs were laid about ten days ago, and should hatch about March 26th.
This crow was harassing the eagle, but never made any contact.
March 29, 2005 - Still sitting on the eggs. Pic 1) The second one bringing back some building supplies. Pic 2) The first one getting out of the way as the second one lands. Pic 3) The first one letting the whole world know how happy it is to be relieved of egg-sitting duties.
March 29, 2005 While one is sitting on the eggs, the second one
raced in just ahead of an immature from last year. After landing, they both screamed at it, letting it know that it is no longer
welcome, now that the eggs are laid. The immature just hovered into the wind, confused, as if to be saying "But it's me, Mom!" He eventually flew away.
April 10, 2005 - Landing in a tree top at 7:30, soaring over the park at 1:30, and bringing a fish back to the nest at 2:55.
Still April 10TH - Bringing a catfish to the nest at 5:12pm. Both adults stayed at the
nest to eat, and feed the young, at which time, I got my first look, and photos, of the little ones above the edge of the nest.
April 17, 2005 - A few feeding shots at 11:20am. After seeing no more than two at a time last week, these pictures clearly show a total of THREE BABIES, for the second year in a row!
May 2, 2005 - One of the adults comes back with a very large, but half eaten fish at 3:00. The little ones were able to eat from this without help.
At 4:40, an adult came back with some kind of animal. The adult had
to rip this one apart for them, making for some good feeding shots, including a tug-o-war in the second shot, and all three
in the third shot.
May 8, 2005 - Not much activity at the nest today. At 2:20, this guy came in from the other side, below the tree line, but I managed to get this landing shot, with an unidentified animal in it's talon. Then, ripping it apart a minute later, with a young one anxiously waiting for the first piece.
At 5:30, in a tree almost directy between myself, and the eagle nest,
this racoon transferred four babies from one knot-hole, to a higher one, despite the crowd that gathered.
May 16, 2005 - First three pictures, coming back with a partially eaten fish at 4:45. Then, a good size comparison between a young one, and an adult, a feeding shot, and bringing back another fish at 7:30.
May 23, 2005 - 1) A feeding shot at 3:45; 2) A landing shot at 6:50; 3) At 7:02, after one adult dropped off a fish, the other adult and all three babies watch as it flies away; 4) 7:03, He hung around, soaring in circles above the park; 5) At 7:40, an adult came back with a fish, but landed in a nearby tree, and ate it himself, while the other adult sat a short distance straight above him.
May 30, 2005 - Posing just to the upper left of the nest at 5:08PM, Then flying around the park, illuminate by the setting sun at 8:06PM, giving it a red tint. The next day I was in town, and stopped at the park for the last hour of daylight, catching Junior listening to Mom's heartbeat at 8:02PM.
June 12, 2005 - 1)8:50AM Flapping his wings, and getting some good air time. 2)10:10AM Coming back with a small fish. 3) A tree in the park, about 30 yards to the southwest of the nest, that was hit by lightning on friday, the 10th.
4) 2:00pm The male brought back a fish and left right away. The
female put it where she thought she could have it to herself. After Jr. managed to get one bite, Mom picked it back up,
and took it to a different tree.
June 14, 2005 - I went to the park on a stormy day, hoping to get something different. Despite a slight lack of activity, the rainbow over the nest at 7:00pm made it all worth while.
June 19, 2005 (Father's Day) - At 8:53AM, I received an email from Marsha, who lives nextdoor to the park, saying that one of the immatures is flying! (Putting them nine days ahead of schedule from last year.) I am not able to get to the park until the 23RD.
June 23, 2005 - I arrived at the park at 1:45, and immediatly observed an immature flying around the park. Soon after getting set up, I saw him land in an oak tree across the park from the nest, where a small crowd soon gathered. I walked over to find out that it had landed next to a second immature that had taken flight since sunday! Pic 2) A neat angle of an immature in flight. Pic 3) He hovered, while grabbing these twigs at the top of a tree for a bit, but soon flew off, realizing he needed a bigger branch to land on. Pic 4) 6:08PM, Holding the other two back, while trying to keep this small, but tasty, bluegill to himself.
July 1, 2005 - With all three young ones now flying, there was no sign of any activity in the upper park, so I took a walk down to the river. I thought it was odd to find one sitting in the middle of the paved path along the river. I thought maybe he was eating something, but a closer look when he stood up, shows him empty-handed. I knew he was about to take off, and was ready for the next two shots.
More than four hours later, one landed just above the nest. He
should probably stick to horizontal branches for now. He eventually got good footing, but it was fun to watch.
July 4, 2005 - No sign of any of the eagles in the upper, or lower park. I walked out on the College avenue bridge, above the old paper mill, where they hung out last year. I immediatly found both of the adults, and one immature. One of the adults eventually flew over the bridge, and landed in the shallow running water, by an already dead fish.
He got a grip on it, and took it upstream, to enjoy it by himself.
July 7, 2005 - Once again, no sign of any activity in the park, so I went to the College avenue bridge, where I found one of the immatures sitting on one of the rooftops, rather close to the bridge. Then, Marsha caught up to me, and took me to where she usually sees them... on the other side of the river, on the opposite side of the bridge. We found an adult on a dead branch, and two immatures on the opposite side of the same tree.
Ironicly, on the last day I was in Appleton, taking pictures of the eagles, the last few pictures I took were of this guy "waving good-bye" until next year.......
May no one ever have to go through life without the chance to see an eagle soar...
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