Taking a Break with a Bald Eagle

After an 0-dark-thirty start to Monday, I was was ready for a break by mid-morning. Grab a fresh cup of Productivity Fluid, and out onto the deck. That deck is on the second story, and faces a large Black Walnut, the slope down to the river bank, etc. It's a bit of a habit to grab binoculars and a camera on the way out. This morning, the idea was to do a quick bird count, for submission to eBird. Because it's the height of Spring migration, and weird things happen.

And indeed they did. About 40 feet away, in that Black Walnut, were Wood Ducks. Which actually have clawed feet, perch in trees, etc. Hence the name. Photos didn't work out too well. These birds are usually shy, with good reason: there are lot of hunters on the river during the season. Typically, I seem them from a couple of hundred feet away, as the are headed elsewhere. Bummer about the photos, though. Drakes are almost cartoonishly colorful. But the drake had a branch between us, and it was obvious that if I moved much, they were going to spook.

And ... they did.

A few minutes later, an immature Bald Eagle flew into the same tree, and pretty obviously was not worried about me at all. There was a lot of ray-catching and preening involved. Here's the bird pausing from a bit of luxurious back-preening to make sure the silly human isn't doing anything, well, silly.

And of course, I had to take the obligatory head photo. 

That bird hung out for at least two hours. Seemingly just enjoying the morning. I, unfortunately, had to get back to the salt mines. An early start already looks like it will extend into a late night.

How's your day going?