Bird calls

[Richard Moody]

>
> I will never forget the first -- ok, the only -- time I watched a bald
eagle
> make a power dive from about 1,000 feet (about 300 m) and pluck an unlucky
> salmon (or something) out of the water.  It was in the '60s and I was in
> Alaska and there weren't a lot of eagles left.
> So, I was happy to just to be able to spot one flying around.  Talk about
> masters of the air and all they survey!  .  One can feel a bit sorry for
the robin and/or
> the salmon and still find room to respect and marvel at the skill of those
> wonderful birds of prey.
>
> Del
>

Here in South Dakota the bald eagle was occasionaly seen along the Missouri
river especially near dams. They are primarily fishers. In the last few
years they have been making a comeback.   I saw one for the first time a
month ago near our place.  We are 8 miles from the river as the crow  er
eagle flies.  He was sitting on top of a muskrat hutch about 30 yards out.
Snow white head and tail. Truely awsome. And we have big raptors, including
golden eagles that are every day sights.  He took off flying low over the
field as if hunting. If pheasant are a substitute for fish he will have
plenty to eat.  We have world famous pheasant hunting here.   They have
become so common that Game and Fish are no longer interested in sightings,
execpt nesting pairs.
    We are keeping an eye out.  There are lots of dead trees from three
years of rising lakes.  These new lakes are full of bass, perch, bluegills
and bull heads, and in the last two years summer home to a flock of
pelicans.  I thought they were salt water birds.
---ric