Edmonds Eagles 2016-17

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Bill Anderson

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Staff member
I packed up my gear and drove up to Pt. Edwards, hoping that the eagles would not leave. I parked the pickup near the tree and started shooting handheld with the 7DII + 100-400L II.

The adult was still perched on the top of the tree. Can you spot the juvie?
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While I may not have not have seen the juvie, the adult knew it was still there.
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The juvie surprised me as it took off and flew west over the condos towards Puget Sound.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
The juvie returned and made several passes at the adult in the tree. Here are a few selected shots from the (literally) hundreds I took.

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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
At one point the screeching attracted a second adult.
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The second adult flew down the street and started screeching as well.
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It may have been the first adult's mate, which has been sitting in the nest just down the street.
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It could also have been one of the eagles from the Deer Creek nest, which is located less than a mile away as the eagle flies.
 

Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Thursday morning (4/13/17) I saw my first osprey of the year. It was receiving a rather warm welcome from two and eventually three eagles.

The action started with a second(?) year juvie and sub-adult chasing the osprey on the east side of Sunset Ave.
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The chase went on for several minutes as the birds flew out over Puget Sound where a full adult briefly joined the chase.
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The adult broke off early and flew past me.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
During low tide, Shell Creek creates a spit where it empties into Puget Sound a little less than a mile north of Sunset Ave. Later that afternoon I saw an eagle bathing at the spit. It was hard to tell due to the angle and distance, but I assume the eagle was bathing in the fresh water of the creek and not the saltwater of the incoming high tide. Taken with the 5DIII + 500L telephoto + 1.4x TC mounted on a tripod.
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I knew the 5:00pm Sounder was due any minute. Passing trains usually scare birds at the spit, so I was hoping to get photos of the eagle + Sounder. This is the best shot I got.
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The eagle flew out over the Sound where I got a photo of it with an oil tank train in the background.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Monday (4/16/17) I caught one change of shift at the Pt. Edwards nest and two at the Deer Creek nest.

Here are my best photos, taken of the first change of shift at the Deer Creek nest.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Terry, Daren, and I went out to the fishing pier Friday (4/21) afternoon. In the distance we could see one of the Pt. Edwards pair perched on their tree at the top of Pine St. I was hoping it would fly down to one of their other regular perches near the ferry dock. A while later a chorus of gulls announced that the eagle had landed, carrying a fish no less.
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I like the shadow of the gull on the ferry.
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In the far distance one of the Hutt Park pair perched on its snag in Hutt Park.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Saturday afternoon (5/6/17) one of our local eagles stole a fish from an osprey over town. I photographed the crime from afar at the marsh with my 5DIII + 500L + 1.4x TC.

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Later that afternoon an osprey flew past me at the marsh heading north with a fish in tow.
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It was a fairly large fish in comparison to the osprey.
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A minute later one of the eagles flew off in the same direction.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
The eagle returned south a few minutes later with its ill-gotten gains.
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Sunday morning (5/7/17) I was at Sunset Ave. when an osprey flew north over the Sound with a similar fish.
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A minute later the eagle was in pursuit.
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Like the previous day, the eagle intimidated the osprey into jettisoning its payload.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Saturday afternoon (5/13) a juvie eagle and it crow escort made circles over the marina as they worked their way north. I took these from the marsh. For once, back lighting and shadows were not a problem.

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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Thursday afternoon (5/18/17) I mounted the 5DIII + 5600L + 1.4x teleconverter on a tripod and pulled up a lawn chair to photograph the Pt. Edwards eagles' nest.

The male was perched atop the sentry tree across the street from the nest.
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The female came flying in with what looked like a clump of grass and dirt. I thought it was a little late in the season for her to be building on to the nest.
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Guess who popped up to watch mom? I believe this is the Pt. Edwards pair's first baby since 2014.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
I was having trouble with the viewing screen of the 5DIII, so I swapped cameras and took a few more photos with the 7DII.

Watching junior.
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Mom took off and returned with more plant material. I'll try to find out more about this behavior.
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Dad had departed, so she may have been waiting for him to return with junior's dinner. Notice how dirty her beak is, as though she was digging in the dirt for something.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
A bit of an eagle inventory on Friday (5/19/17).

Deer Creek (Woodway) pair.
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They are nest sitting, but no signs of young ones.
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Lake Ballinger (Mountlake Terrace) pair. No sign of any activity at their old nest.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Continuing the eagle inventory on Saturday (5/20/17).

Pt. Edwards (Woodway) pair.
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They have at least one baby.
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Constant harassment by evil minions of the Dark Lord.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Eagle inventory, part 2: Monday (5/22/17).

No eaglets are visible in the Deer Creek nest, but the female is behaving like there are babies in the nest. She is upright much of the time instead of lying very low in the nest.
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The Hutt Park pair in Edmonds remain a mystery.
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I could not find a nest. One of the eagles has been perching by itself on the spar in the park as though it is a sentry tree for a nearby nest.

View from the south (187th St. SW).
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View from the base of the spar inside the park
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View from the northeast (92nd Ave. W).
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
The big news: there is a second baby eagle in the new Pt. Edwards nest.

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The other parent is barely visible on the right.
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Family portrait.
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One of the parents flew to the sentry tree across the street.
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Bill Anderson

Super Moderator
Staff member
Wednesday (5/24/17) morning's check of the Pt. Edwards nest.
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I returned later in the evening and got a shot of one adult and a baby.
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