THE 2007 EAGLES RE-VISITED AND OTHER STUFF

Another visit to this year's baby eagle factory was wonderful. I actually beached the boat and walked to the base of their tree. Walked is an understatement. I wanted to check the ground for skeletons etc. I would have liked to find a eagle's feather but no luck. Both fledglings are well and growing rapidly. I would imagine them both to be dancing on the tree limbs adjacent to their nest by mid next week. After that it won't be long. I hope I can get pictures of them doing their pref light exercises. I actually climbed a short distance up a rock cliff behind the nest tree to get better shots of the babies. The pictures here are the best I can do with the equipment I have at my disposal. Digital cameras leave a lot to be desired when quality is sought. It is like walking on hallowed ground when in their presence. I don't really know why I have been taken so by them. But I felt, when under their tree and in their presence, the same feeling I felt back in 1973 when I stood in the same room that Jim Bowie was slain at the Alamo. It was almost impossible for me to get my head around the fact that I was standing in the same room as one of Americas most famous valued hero's stood. He was bayoneted to death by Mexicans while bed ridden during the fall of the Alamo in March of 1836. And today I stand in the presence of the most magnificent bird in all of America. Me----here under this tree------watching the symbol of my countries bravery. This eagle has been everyplace where Americans struggled and died for our freedom. Yes, even at the Alamo. I am humbled in their presence.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll throw a few pictures into this entry of a couple vultures I see from time to time. The eagle's are below the vulture pictures.

He just jumped from the tree limb over to his cave. His mate is still in the tree. I am directly below the cliff in my boat. They both were apprehensive of me but began getting used to my presence.

Ike jumped from the adjacent tree to this cliff side crevasse. I'm sure they must have eggs or young in the cave. I have to read up on Vultures. Turkey vultures are pretty scary when they look at you. They have a "terminal stare". Black Vultures are not as imposing.

Ah, home at last. He is heading into the cave opening on the cliff side.

Ike flew in with Dorothy. He wants in the cave nest badly. I'll back off with the boat using electric power to stay quiet.

Dorothy is eyeing me up wandering what the noisy contraption is below her tree. My boat.....

Dorothy is keeping an eye on me. She has landed in a scraggly old tree adjacent to her nest located in a cave in the cliff.

Since we are talking about beautiful birds, I thought I would break up the blog entry with some suttle beauty.

The shots below were taken from directly under the eagle's tree.

AND NOW THE YOUNG BALD EAGLES

IRRESPONSIBLE

I took Douglas, Happy and Sigh to the East Lakeshore trail tonight for a last run before I have to check in to work in the morning. They have to wait till my next days off before I can get them quality time in the woods and away from here. The Lakeshore Trail has been built primarily by volunteers and donations. Hard work went into that trail. It is obvious when one sees how wonderfully kept it is. Even a boat landing has been built. Its beautiful. Then last week a sign indicating the boat landing site was erected. It must have cost over a hundred dollars. It is a beautiful piece of work and blends well with the surroundings. The sad thing is that the moment it was installed, some idiot had to take a shot gun to it. Brand new! I guess that area is open to hunting. I don't know why as it usually has walkers and hikers on the trail. Irresponsibility at work. No; not good ole boys. No, not just Bubba with a gun out having fun. This is the work of some a-- hol- that was born shy of two thirds of his brain and allowed to buy a gun. I like guns. I grew up around them and have shot in competition. They are fun. Guns don't kill. People do. Pencils don't misspell. People do. Guns don't obliterate beautiful signs. People do. Ever wonder why I'm so intense about the eagles I keep talking about? I am protective of them and concerned for them because I know that some Bubba out duck hunting will shoot them. It's that simple. Anyone who would maliciously, on purpose, take calculated aim at that fine, expensive sign would kill an eagle. He would kill The Golden Dog, Douglas. (And that man would regret his birth.") There are good and bad among us for sure. But "bad" with a gun is intolerable. Gun's are getting bad press now as we speak. Acts like I speak of will instigate local action if enough of it occurs. I hope guns and hunting are banned from the East Coast Hiking Trail. They don't belong there. Sportsmen everywhere are watching their hunting areas diminish and are complaining about it. Senseless acts like this will continue to cause properties to be off limits to hunters. If I see much more of this kind of crap, I can't say I give much of a dam"n about hunting. I just take it personal because this sign is my property. It is you're property. Why don't these inbred morons go shoot out street lights or something in the city where all the crime is anyway?.

EAGLES, VULTURES AND HERONS

This blog entry is really about the guy above. But I thought it would be interesting to include some other river birds I saw today. The Black Vulture is a much overlooked bird and even frowned upon by some. It is said to be filthy and a disease carrier. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This bird is indispensable as a cleaner upper. It removes any bodies lying around on land or water. It cleans the environment. It would be interesting to see how the average picnic would fare if the vulture didn't pick up the dead from the beach and the hiking pathways. Their ability to digest decayed material is amazing. There are powerful enzymes present in their bodies that eliminate harmful germs present in putrid carian. They bath after each meal. Sometimes they will bath for hours along the river. Truly an amazing bird.

This is the season for babies in the bird world and one bird that is just as interesting as any is the Great Blue Heron. I discovered an island on the Little Tennessee River last year and promised myself I would visit it this spring. The results are below the vulture pictures. The rookerie is on an island with very tall trees. The pictures are of Heron families two story's high in these trees. Each nest has two chicks. A truly beautiful bird and one of the more interesting birds on the river.

And finally the eagles. I have been watching them closely the past few days. At first I could only see one chick in the nest. Today, the second chick appeared. I was elated! I get goose bumps when I observe these birds. But that's not all. A half hour later, down the river further, the two fledglings from the previous year appeared. They were still dark brown as they are still adolescence birds. The white will appear next year. I am privileged to present to you these occupants of the river's edge and the symbol of our country, our countries heritage and the symbol of the bravery that the son's and daughter's of America have displayed through history.

"I see everything. "My life depends on death"

What a good looking fellow!

If one gets to the lake or river early enough, one can catch the Black Vulture asleep.

This master fisherman is not fishing. He's watching me as I drift my boat very near his nest and brood. He is over two stories high up in the top of a tree in a Great Heron Rookeries.

Is that dad flying in over there with our fish dinner?

Two cute Heron babies, and mom

My first visit to the nest this morning yielded this one chick as seen below. But to my joy, as you'll see later, a second is present.

This little guy was so handsome I had to put him in here alone without his sister.

I was afraid both chicks did not make it this year. But to my joy, a second little head appeared. It is awe inspiring to see these young, healthy birds preparing to represent our country and symbolize our freedom.

Two very healthy chicks. It looks like the current crop of young eagles are healthy and growing rapidly

This is the eagle's back yard. Today was an absolutely picture perfect day. The trees and foliage were reflected off the water as if a mirror were placed there by nature.

The next two pictures are almost identical. They were taken ten seconds apart. I am so excited about being able to share these photos with everyone interested, that I don't want to leave anything out. This young bird was forced into this tree by a marauding crow. Yes, small birds harass raptors. This bird and the second young bird I saw just minutes later surely must be last years brood. Sensational!

This is one of two "last year youngsters" I saw flying today about a half mile down stream of last year and this year's nesting site. He is magnificent.

AMERICA'S SYMBOL IS BACK AND HEALTHY

I finally got to check on the Eagles Of The Little Tennessee River. The adults were near and they weren't leaving for anything. I searched the nest for a glimpse of the young but couldn't see them. The adults were very aggressive and actually started to dive on my boat. I never heard of anything like that before. They actually came very close. I backed off from the nest site but shot a couple pictures of the nest just for grins. I never saw the young chick from my boat. Upon checking the photos at home; there he was. I apologise for the bad photography but I didn't know a chick was present on the nest. If you look closely at the vertical branch you'll see him. There is only one chick in the picture. I hope with all my heart there are two. Absolutely magnificent!!!!! They're back!!!

This eagle was clearly upset with my presence. Her mouth is open and constant hi pitched shreeks are being emitted.

This bird was soaring horzontally when all of a sudden she put on the brakes and dove strait at my boat. The following picture shows how close she came. I couldn't focus the camera. Oh, for a 35 mm camera with motor drive.!!!!!

This adult dove on me and pulled out at the last minute. They are Very, Very big birds.

This eagle dived at my boat numerious times constantly sqreeching in hi pitched tones. It was so close I couldn't focus on it properly

Each eagle shreeked constantly while circling me. They were upset.

Circling and ever watching me as I float near by.

Magnificent in flight.

Its been a long day

Together for life

A DAY OF SLOTH

Today is the fourth day off on a new work schedule and it's proving to be a day filled with sloth and observation. I drove down to Tellico Lake with the boat this morning to see if the bass were biting. I am not a good fisherman by any standards and expected to just throw lure's out into the calm water near the Fort at Fort Loudoun State Park. Much to my surprise I quickly caught four bass of the Spotted variety. I couldn't believe it. Another two hours produced two more. They all were returned to the water carefully and with respect. The wind picked up and the white caps appeared. Time to haul it in. Besides, I missed Douglas. On the way back toward home, I noticed a little brown half starved puppy along the road. I stopped but could not entice him to come to me.

When I left this morning, I forgot my camera and missed some great Sand Piper shots. They are in migration mode right now, according to Janet. Hopefully I'll see more when I return to the lake. Actually, I have returned. Douglas and Happy are with me and we are all three sitting on a hill looking down onto our boat that is beached and tied off on a tree snag.

I had always wanted a eighteen foot fiberglass center console bay boat. I thought and still do think they are the prettiest boats on the water. But I opted for the Lowe eighteen foot VPT 1860 semi Jon boat. This boat can travel over two feet of water and can be dragged up onto any beach. The fancy fiberglass boats would be gouged and scratched by now; and maybe worse. The 90 horsepower Mercury I opted to install allows rapid travel in as close to silence as possible. Four stroke engines are great. The big 90 horsepower engine is capable of pushing the boat at a constant 45 miles per hour with me alone. Add one Douglas and for some reason it's a chore to achieve speeds above 40 miles per hour. Well, he's a big boy.

Douglas has just come out of the water below me and is standing, head turned up, toward me, ears up and eyes wide. He seems to be waiting for some action from me that will allow him to react in some dog way. He is getting older now and his demeanor is starting to reflect a mildness he never had before. He will now lay down beside me here after a brief spurt of activity. Before, when younger, he would roam about constantly on the move. He still has "happy feet" but he stops them more often now. I love it when he stays by me. He does honer to me by wanting to be with me. It is his way of expressing total trust and devotion. I still am amazed by his strength and untiring energy. I find it difficult to believe that a body and frame of that size is able to house such dynamic forces and strength. I delight in watching him run. His huge paws strike the earth in perfect harmony with each other. The shoulder blades protrude vertically with his forward leg thrusts, then disappear somewhere within him. At full run his rear feet somehow can be extended all the way up and under his chest, paused for a split second there before hammering down onto the ground with solid thuds and finding purchase there for the mighty forward thrust that instantly follows. His golden body flows over logs and boulders. How can he navigate at top speed, over forest debris, ravines, boulders and streams without ever making an error. He plants four feet precisely on target each and every time. He is perfection. And he is young.

I have taken dog's for granted all my life. They were just---------there. Now, I literally live with dogs. Douglas, Happy and old Sigh share a 20X60 foot remodeled warehouse room with me. I installed a dog door so that they can come and go as they please. They are interesting to watch. Each is unique in his own way. They seem to do what I do. When I lay down to sleep; they all position themselves in their places and lay down to sleep. Shortly after the lights go out, their individual sounds can be heard. Douglas is a dreamer. He will make puppy sounds and sometimes his legs will move as if he is running. Happy has a shrill squeak to her exhale. She sometimes dreams too. Old Sigh makes all sorts of sounds constantly. She snores loudly all night. She makes snore sounds that remind me of a giant zipper being unzipped under water. I'm glad she snores. It lets me know she is content and happy. She deserves it. Her life up until two years ago was living hell. She was found by Janet at a rest stop down on route 411 South by Vonore. She was so starved she could hardly move. A quarter of one ear was torn off entirely indicating a hard fight had occurred at some point earlier in her life. The vet said her hips still have shot gun pellets in them. Her pelvis had been broken and her hip pops out of its socket from time to time. But she has been brought back to health with good food and a lot of care. She is fat and lazy now. Sigh likes to lay in the sun and sleep before retiring inside to the cool room ------------------to sleep. I do take her on dog outings with Douglas and Happy. She is a sweetheart.

Both yesterday and today have been perfect Tennessee days. I did not go to the lake yesterday because I do not like to deal with all the people. A calm mirror surfaced lake at seven in the morning on a Sunday is turned into wakes, white caps and froth by noon due to all the pleasure boat traffic. There is no peace on the lakes on a weekend. The boat ramp I used today told the story of yesterday. I backed the boat trailer to the water through enough trash to fill a pick up truck. I can not imagine how people can discard food bags and trash onto pristine areas and not feel it is wrong. It amazes me; even dirty baby diapers. I think what needs to happen is ----nothing. Leave the trash on the boat ramps and docks for an entire year. Let the litter bugs have to back their high priced boats through their own garbage. Today alone, at the Toqua boat ramp on Tellico Lake, I saw the above mentioned baby diaper, a half eaten chicken, napkins of all colors, Havoline oil cans, charcoal dumped on the pavement, countless McDonald's bags, old tennis shoes, a belt, a shirt and uncountable pop cans (the most common being Coke, followed secondly by Mountain Dew.) What is so hard about taking these trash items home? The answer is laziness. The second part of the answer is that they know someone will be by in the morning to clean it up. What happened to personal pride? But then, these are people for the most part, that haven't a clue what the Alamo is all about or where Vietnam is or what happened there for that matter. And guess what. Someday there will be a generation who will not have a clue what 9-11 is all about. And they will litter too.

Enough ranting and raving! I need to get my two friends on the boat and out of here. Well, maybe just a short hike before departure.

A Powerful Lunge

Happy the Bullet