Tag: eagle

Turkey Tracks:  January 26, 2012

Ice Houses and An Eagle

In deep winter, ice houses start appearing on our ponds.  Here’s Hosmer Pond, over by the Snow Bowl.  There are more ice houses on it than I remember in recent years.  What’s special about this picture, though, is the large lump to the right of the ice house in the middle of this picture.  It’s an eagle, who was eating something, probably some discarded bait.

We couldn’t quite believe it when we first passed.  My brain was saying “no, it’s some sort of big gull.”  I was driving, so I turned around and doubled back.  John got out of the car with his phone camera, and maybe he got better pictures.  I realized that I had my small camera in my purse (what good is a camera if it’s never with you?), so I held it out to him.  But, our presence began to spook the eagle, and it flew.  John tried to get those pics, but they didn’t come out.  The eagle’s white tail and huge wing span were spectacular up so close.

This snow has melted with our recent warm temps (50 degrees yesterday), so the whole pond is as shiny and smooth as glass–which the ice skaters love.

xxx