Duck Eagle V2

[Florence Rocle]

TheEagle metaphor has been used across cultures as a symbol of strength, freedom, independence, and self-actualization. One of my favorite eagle metaphors comes from a Native American writing, Eagle is reminding you to take heart and gather your courage, for the universe is presenting you with an opportunity to soar above the mundane levels of your life . . . Eagle teaches you to broaden your sense of self beyond the horizon of what is presently visible.

Great post, Jean. The Wally story reminds me of the book The Go-Giver. I believe there is a reciprocity in the universe and, over time, you get more good back when you put more good out. Thanks for the inspiration!

With an engaging balance of anecdotes, theories, and tools, Jean Storlie and Mimi Sherlock take their combined 50+ years of experience to illustrate how storytelling can be applied to accelerate innovation and lead change.

No sooner than I had posted my last update on Daisy, than the little duck got busy covering her eggs and going to forage. The time was 14:41:26. It is in the normal range of when she leaves the nest. Sometimes she has not returned until dusk because she knows she will avoid the sea eagles. Now that she is getting nearer to hatch, will she stay away that long?

This time Daisy has tucked the down and added some leaves at the side. She tried to fold the top onto itself but not getting it tight like she did during the early stages of her incubation. Let us hope that the gusts of wind do not pull the down apart leaving the eggs open to eating or destruction by the Ravens or the Currawongs.

Daisy settled in at the task in hand. Daisy was away from the nest for five hours. The sea eagles did not return at dusk. Whew! But, two hours later, once it is dark, BooBook Owl comes to call and scares Daisy by flying from branch to branch.

Daisy flattens herself over her eggs increasing the size of her body and extends her neck. She is in protective mode. Boo bothers her for about a minute and a half and Daisy goes back to incubating her eggs.

Daisy wants to thank all of her friends wishing her success. People have joined her from Canada, the United States, Australia, Mexico, Poland, Croatia, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Check back for updates. We are getting closer and closer to hatch!

Daisy has been on the nest quietly but alertly brooding her eggs. She took a very early morning break from 4:13:44 to 5:16:34. Possibly a bathroom break for a duck or a chance to grab a quick breakfast and cool off in the water before one of the hottest days on the nest. It is 14:06:40 and our cute little duck is panting quickly in order to regulate her temperature despite the fact that there is now shade on the nest.

Daisy begins to tuck the down in around her nest along with pulling leaves closer to her nest. Then she sees a shadow of a bird cross the nest and she stops! She waits and listens. Five minutes later she resumes her preparations for concealing her nest and heading to the water to eat and cool off. She flies off the nest to the left, to the closest water source, at 15:11:10.

It was so hot yesterday and it is even hotter today. If Daisy follows her pattern of late, she will return to the nest between 19:45:00 and 20:00. And if the Sea Eagles are being typical, if they are coming in to check it will be around 17:00 and Daisy will be gone!

But something very odd happened the morning of January 21. Daisy covered her eggs, as best she could, pulling down and leaves and even small sticks over it, and left the nest around 4:25 am. Sunrise is at 6:05. That is when the WBSE come, if they do, in the mornings. Why so early?

The leaving of the nest at 4:20 and returning an hour later leads me to wonder about the eyesight of the Black Pacific Duck. The sea eagles fly right at or after dawn when they are about. They come back to the nest or their roost at dusk. But Daisy is able to come and go when it is dark. Plan to do some research on the eyesight of ducks. Daisy is similar to a Mallard and that might help me. If you know about the difference in night vision, please leave me a note. It would be much appreciated!

Around 9 am the visitors begin to show up. First are the curious Rainbow Lorikeets and then you can hear but, not see, the Ravens. The Lorikeets or Loris are chattery and loud and very curious but they will not hurt Daisy, her eggs, or her ducklings. But the Ravens will. Daisy always places her body really low on the ground when the Ravens are about.

Daisy gets low and really still, just as if she is frozen. Soon, the Ravens disappear. Not only would they eat the eggs but, the Ravens also chase after the White Bellied Sea Eagles. They are, often, a warning of their approach.

It is 10 am in the forest and all is quiet. The WBSE were seen at Goat Island last night. Maybe they will stay there. It is a nice vacation time for them with no eaglets to raise and both are moulting which causes some distress. That would be good for Daisy. She can rest all day like she is now incubating her little ones.

retired to a chunk of ice to the west of where all the ducks were congregating and watched them from a distance as he rested. To get this photo I had to drive about a quarter mile west along the causeway but he was still far out on the lake.

Very nice series, Ron. Wondered if you gave any thought to increasing depth of field on the shots to sharpen focus on the background ducks. Due to the fast flying, this may not have been possible, but I would enjoy your expert opinion on the matter. Thanks!

Beautiful photos, Ron. My personal favorite is 1301. Those wings! So powerful. I love that you are still learning about your new camera and are able to take such wonderful photos with it. Thank you for bringing your world into my home.

I should have worded that question differently. I know you struggled with moving on from the 7D Mk II, wondering what would give you a similar experience while losing the 1.6x crop factor. Do you plan on getting the 1.4x RF extender? I know that the MP take a hit down to 17MP when in crop mode. Just wondered if you planned on doing that in order to leave yourself more MP (45) to crop later if needed. Just curious is all.

Very interesting post Ron. Wonder if he or she is an older eagle? Hard to imagine that he could not find at least one or two vulnerable looking ducks among all of them. With all the ducks leaving the eagles are going to have to get back to fishing. Our lakes are very ice free here and the eagles are fishing non stop. Of course all our lakes are periodically stocked by the city or the Forest Service so that makes a difference.

Please do not pin my images on Pinterest, Tumblr or any other pinning site or social media or use them for anything else without my express permission (and that includes using them as models for paintings, drawings or tattoos etc.).

Each year limit shooting is the rule, not the exception. You can choose between duck or goose hunting in the morning or a "combo" hunt where both ducks and geese are possible. We provide the best in guides, blinds, decoys, dogs and boats. With over 100 lakes and ponds in several counties, there will always be a "honey hole" available for you. Whether you enjoy the classic duck hunting setup, mallards over decoys in a small secluded pothole, or prefer big water shooting, we have both. Guides recommend #2 or #4 shot for decoying ducks.

Duck hunts primarily take place over water. We have over 40 flooded corn ponds and many of these will never freeze over. We have numerous warm water hot springs that will always provide open water for the ducks. We also have moving water which is located near hundreds of acres of corn to keep the ducks fueled up. Lastly, there are many ponds that have aerator systems that push water to keep water open all season for the ducks. Most of our duck ponds provide an easy walk to the blind, whether it is a nice pathway or a smooth road your guide will make it as easy as possible for you.

Much of the Columbia Basin freezes in the latter part of our hunting season. With millions of gallons of fresh water flowing through our properties every day, Eagle Lakes Ranch Lodge always has open water to hunt on.

We hunt out of all different types of blinds. Our goal is to keep you as comfortable as possible and well secluded. The blinds range from; standup blinds, floating blinds, rock blinds, portable blinds and pit blinds. Most of our blinds have benches in them or your guide will provide you with a comfortable chair.

Washington State has one of the most liberal season and bag limits in the country, so you will be able to take home a bunch of these delicious corn fed mallards for family and friends to enjoy.

The late season can be most productive, as the weather forces thousands of ducks to our warm water areas.

Eagle Lakes Ranch Lodge has been in the Bernsen family for over 50 years. We are continually upgrading our properties with new habitat projects designed specifically for the birds each year. Blinds are maintained and improved annually, ensuring your comfort and success.

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Lorinne Anderson wrote:How are the ducks housed? Is this a small area, large acreage with pond, field, fenced yard??? Depending on what your situation is the solution will be different.

Guardian Dog or Geese are a good option if you want a living protector. Netting overhead if it is a small yard that is fenced. Bird scare tape (mylar prism strips) might be useful. Ensure there are no nearby perching locations where the predator birds can sit and wait...

Alec Buchanan wrote:I can vouch for what Libbie Hawker mentioned a couple of years ago about crows being a defensive asset against eagles and other birds of prey. We have a duck area with 10 indian runners. It's covered with bird netting. One morning I was sitting outside (about 100ft from the duck area) and a golden eagle swooped down, right into the bird netting. Not even two seconds later, a huge raven appeared, swooped in right behind the eagle and totally chased it off. It was an exciting moment, and I am grateful that we had a raven around to defend our flock.

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