About the only thing that seems to remain the same at the fish pond is the constant flow of water that makes its way from the hillside springs and stream. Other than the steady sound of water making its way into and out of the pond everything else seems to be in a constant state of evolution and change.

While most change around the pond happens slowly every once in awhile something sudden happens that adds just the right amount of excitement and creates a new opportunity to learn and explore. Sometimes it’s a little thing like the falling of a tree that adds an interesting new light pattern in the woods or provides a new perching spot for the birds. Sometimes it can be something out of the ordinary and unexpected that takes you completely by surprise and adds new life and interest to the entire area. The newest excitement at the pond these days, which falls into the unexpected category, is the appearance of a new set of birds. Eagles to be exact.

Late last fall a new pair of Bald Eagles decided to stake a claim to the area surrounding the Fish Pond. They are not the same pair that I have photographed here in the past. Neither of them appear to be banded like the pair that visits here from their nest 3 or 4 miles away and they are noticeably different in size from that pair. The female of this set is significantly larger than her mate and although I am making my comparisons based on my memory of the older pair I would say she is probably larger than any of the eagles I have seen frequenting here over the years.

Over the winter they have been building a nest near the pond. Whether they actually try to use it remains to be seen and will probably depend on how much can be done to protect them from being disturbed. If they can tolerate the human traffic in the area and if the older pair doesn’t return and drive them off it will be very interesting to watch and study them as they make the fish pond their home and raise their young.

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:

LOIS B. LUEB - Fighting Cancer - Diagnosed April 24, 2006