Rickubis Bird Page #2d: Eagles! page 5! Page 1 , Page 2 , Page 3 , Page 4
This page was born 07/30/2024 (split from an older page.).  Rickubis designed it.  (such as it is.) Last update: 8/27/2024
Images and contents on this page copyright ©2002-2024 Richard M. Dashnau 

           Go back to my home page, Welcome to rickubis.com
           Go back to the RICKUBISCAM page. 

----------------------------------

Welcome to Brazos Bend State Park. That's me on the trail at Fiorenza Park watching an Eagle 6/3/2023. I was just a child when the number of Eagle nests in the U.S. was
only 417...in the lower 48 states. I never expected to see Bald Eagles at all where I live and play, but here they are!  I'm sharing many of my pictures and videos of Eagles
here on my Eagle Pages.


Two more Bald Eagle sightings at Fiorenza park. Both after the passage of hurricane Beryl, and both during the summer.
On 07/20/2024  I took  a few  telephoto pictures to record the presence of the Eagle, since Eagles usually leave this part of Texas for the Summer. Since the day was cloudy,
I was able to take pictures from the West side of the Eagle, so I could face East. Usually the Sun is too bright for this.

On 08/03/2024  I took  a few  telephoto pictures to record the presence of the Eagle, since Eagles usually leave this part of Texas for the Summer. 


Then I took more pictures at their usual favorite spot on the electrical tower. 


This is a panorama showing the view facing West. The Eagle was on the tower to the left (marked by red arrow). The Westpark Tollway is to the left, and that's highway 6 in
the background, across the water. This is just one section of the lake in Fiorenza Park.
6/29/2024  The Bald Eagle was on the Eagles' favorite electrical tower in Fiorenza Park about 600 yards from this spot. This is as close as I can park. I took
 a few  telephoto pictures to record the presence of the Eagle, since Eagles usually leave this part of Texas for the Summer. The Eagle had flown before I walked 20 minutes
to my usual observation point. But I found it on the small island where I've seen Eagles land and feed.

The Eagle had already caught something and was eating it.  And--a turtle was trying to take pieces of the Eagle's meal! The Turtle (probably a Red-Eared Slider
 (Chrysemys scripta) ran to the water with a scrap, then turned around and came back. The turtle was focused on whatever the Eagle was eating, and really wanted part of
 it. The Eagle tolerated the turtle, but swallowed the last big piece. This was 200 yards away viewed through telephoto zoom. Camera shook a bit because I laughed at the
audacity of the turtle. 


When the Eagle was finished, it went into the water to drink. The turtle went for the leftover scraps. While the Eagle drank, the turtle scurried by, holding up prize piece
 of the carcass.  Other turtles were around, and probably noticed the one with the fresh food scrap. When turtles find a source of food, they can remember where it is, and
make return visits. The turtles have probably done that here.

Once they found scraps of previous Eagle meals, the turtles learned to watch for more activity. The turtles probably don't see any birds (including Eagles) as a potential
threat, and so may have no misgivings about going up and sharing the carcass while the Eagle is still there. Turtles-aside from their usual timid behavior-can be pretty
aggressive towards each other (or other creatures)--by shoving them, stealing from them, or biting them. These are all behaviors I've witnessed outside. Studies have
shown that turtles have some powers of cognition, and can learn routes to water and remember them from year to year. But--only young turtles have the ability to learn.
("Turtles outsmart rapid environmental change: The role of cognition in navigation" by Krochmal, Roth et. al. 2015)

A few minutes later, the Sun broke through the clouds, and a couple of Carp started moving along the shore in the background. Four or more Carp moved closer from the
 back, and a Turtle crawled past the Eagle's tail.  Maybe it was getting too crowded. The Eagle took off and flew to the East.  I've got edited video at this link.

6/21/2024  An Eagle had landed on one the high-tension line towers on the South end of Fiorenza park. I wanted to record the sighting, but as I was shooting photos, it took off.


I shot this burst of photos from about 600 yards away (according to Google maps).

The Eagle landed on the next tower to the West (about 500 ft away from the first)--which is the usual favored perch. I went around to the spot where I usually watch the Eagles.
The first 3 images below were taken from where I was parked. They show how far away the towers are.

The Eagle stayed on the tower for a while.  When more clouds began to form I moved to the other side of the tower to get pictures from that angle. The last image below
was taken from that West side of that tower.

Just as I was focusing, the Eagle took off.  It circled over me, and flew off to the Northeast.
 
06/08/2024 (I intend to post of few updates about Eagles from this date into June, partly to record that they were active into summer. ) An Eagle had landed on their favored
 perch atop the high-tension line  tower on the South end of the park. I watched it for a while, and took pictures to record that it was there.


The Eagle was hot, and had its mouth open to help cool itself. It wasn't calling. The second gaping picture shows its nictitating membrane over its eye. Although Bald Eagles
 stay in some parts of Texas all year, most of the sources I read say that the are only in our area for the Winter and leave in the spring. So I will at least take pictures to show
 if Eagles are around after May.  The Eagle flew off, giving me a bit of a thrill. Why? Because while I was watching the Eagle, some Carp appeared at the shoreline below me.

 
They were large fish and were working diligently along the shoreline. The top of the fish showed out of the water as they worked. A closer examination shows that the fish
has a long dorsal fin (folded over). Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) have a single, short dorsal fin. But Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) have a long dorsal fin, so think
that's what this fish is. The fish seemed to be foraging, but was probably also spawning. Since this was below, and within sight, of the Eagle on the tower; I was hoping the
 Eagle might grab one of the Carp. So when the Eagle took off, I thought it would go for the fish. It didn't. It was still interesting to watch the Carp. It was also visited by a
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) that came by, shuffling its bright yellow feet.  I've seen Herons and Egrets approach other animals foraging along a shoreline--probably looking
 for prey that was scared out by the other forager. There's also video.
 

5/15/2024 (I intend to post of few updates about Eagles from this date into June, partly to record that they were active into summer. ) At Fiorenza Park
I'd spent about an hour at Fiorenza Park, where Westpark Road ends. I noticed that an Eagle had landed on their favored perch atop the high-tension line tower on the
South end of the park. The tower is about 1000 yards from that point. I didn't consider trying to  get there, since the Eagle might have taken off by the time I got there. But
 when another Eagle landed there, I decided to try to meet them. To get to the tower, I park at the South edge of the park, and then walk 1100 yards (about 1/2 mile) along
the trail to get near the bottom of it. It takes about 20 minutes. The Eagles were still there when I arrived 9:32 so I waited to see if anything would happen.


About 10 minutes later (9:45) the larger one (I assume female) took off and  circled around, seemed to try for something in the water, then landed on a branch at the small
island. (9:47). The other Eagle remained on the tower. I watched the Eagle near the island most of the time, but also checked the other on the tower.

 
After about 15 minutes (10:07), the Eagle took off from the island and circled above the water as  it spiraled higher into the sky. As it circled even higher at a mostly
Westward direction, the other Eagle left the tower, and circled up to meet it. They were both quite far away (10:13), before one of the Eagles came back and landed on the
tower (10:14) Then the other Eagle circled back closer, passed over me, and  then moved off to the East, where I stopped watching it when it was blocked by the building and
 trees. (10:17)  I left the Eagle perched on the tower.


I had returned to be car (10:40), and had stowed my optical gear, when I noticed an Eagle flying high over the water. I pulled out the camera and started watching the Eagle.


While I tried taking bursts of photos, I realized a Hawk was harassing the Eagle! Both birds were quite high above me, and I did the best I could while shooting almost
straight up at times.  I did manage to get a few shots. Even blurred shots were better than none, so here they are.


Both birds gained altitude throughout the drama. I was just pointing the camera and shooting, hoping to capture something. Although I've seen various raptors get harassed
by single birds or mobbed by a flock--I don't recall ever seeing a raptor ever turn around and fight back. I've usually seen them ignore the bother, or fly away. This time the
Eagle flipped over to brandish its talons at the approaching Hawk! (I cannot guess what kind it was.) Then the Eagle appeared to chase the Hawk!  The birds were so high, I
couldn't be sure if I heard them screaming at each other--although I thought I could hear a bit. Shooting video was not possible. I was shooting while zoomed, which
magnifies all camera movement, and video would have been just too shaky.


I think the Hawk finally moved off about 10:49. The two uncropped images below show how far away the two birds had been. That was an interesting morning!


5/14/2024 The water was high at Fiorenza park.  I was walking up the hill towards the car, when I spotted a Bald Eagle high in the sky, on the South side.
I hurried up the hill, and got a quick look at two Eagles in the sky before I lost them to distance and the Sun.  But about 5 minutes later (10:53) I saw a large bird far out,
and high over the water that was obviously carrying something.


It was flying towards me, and I thought it was an Osprey (which I see there often). But, it was an Eagle! It curved and flew North, but still far West of me. I took many
photos, with limited success. The Eagle was really far away, but the pictures show that it had a huge fish.


If you'd like to know more about the park follow these links:

Brazos Bend State Park   The main page.

Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer's Page  The volunteer's main page.
 

           Go back to my home page, Welcome to rickubis.com
       Go back to the RICKUBISCAM page.
       Go back to the See the World page.