[Ontbirds] 51 PINE GROSBEAKS & 1 BALD EAGLE & 22 REDPOLLS by Newcastle.

[markus lise]

I could not believe it!  It was only 2 weeks ago that I went to visit my
daughter and her family in Fulton, Illinois, USA which is on the Mississippi
and counted 234 BALD EAGLES.  Some were perched on branches of trees, others
on the ice part covering the Mississippi and yet others over the open waters
by one of the dams crossing the River.  Many of them were gliding through
the air and periodically swooping down to catch their meals.

As I was going to church this morning there perched on a branch, 9 o'clock,
in a large tree on the south side of Cencession Street  a BIG BEAUTIFUL
BLACK AND WHITE BALD EAGLE.  I had to stop my car and look more closely
through my binoculars.  I took several pictures just so that I could prove
that I was not mistaking it as a Raptor.  There it sat, perched high and
dry.  What one could perceive as laziness was actually competence.  Inept
birds waste energy searching for food.  True, eagles do eat carrion but
thely are also skilled hunters, able to capture waterfowl in flight and
rabblits on the run.  And, yes, the BALD EAGLE is an accomplished food
thief, as many an osprey has learned.  But only the OSPREY has standing to
make that accusation--for if the BALD EAGLE is to be judged, it is surely
entitled, like all people, to a jury of its peers.

I was 30 minutes late for church but made it back to my post by the BALD
EAGLE.  He was still there, perched on the same branch in the same tree.  I
called a couple of friends on my cell phone.  Another couple of vehicles
stopped on the side of the road to ask what we were looking at.  Soon
another couple of vehicles joined us and we were having quite the church
service in the open air.  He must have been there over 3 hours.  It was a
spiritual experience that is still making me walk 6 " off the ground.

He showed me his 35-40 " length;  I was not able to witness his wingspan of
8 ft.  He definitely was an adult blackish brown with head and tail pure
white and bill yellow.

Then there were the PINE GROSBEAKS.  8-10 " long.  Their bills were a stubby
and conical shape.  Males are pink with 2 wing bars.  Females gray with 2
white wing bars, head and rump tinged with an olive orange.  And at the
feeder at home in Newcastle had 22 REDPOLLS & 27 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES.

Directions:  Take Highway # 115/35 south off Highway # 401 as far as
Concession St. west till you reach the Martin Gerrits & Sons Orchard and
look for some of the Crab apple trees planted among other trees in the
orchard both north and south.

Markus Lise
Newcastle, On