Today was a very good day at Jug Bay AA county.? We collected 30 species.? Noteworthy were three red headed woodpeckers - a fairly reliable species there this winter.? Also a nice yellow bellied sapsucker.? 

The real joy, however, was a pair of eagles.? My son noticed the first bird, maybe 100 yards away in a tree, below the treeline.? One had to look at just the right spot to see him, but when we did, he was framed beautifully by two tilting trees.? He was looking down at the ground, presumably waiting for dinner to show up underneath his perch.? This was our turn-around point, but we pursued some robins, titmice and woodpeckers up the trail a bit more - where we discovered an eagle nest in a tall oak tree.? Then we noticed the second eagle close to her mate, both about 100 yards away from the nest.? A gull flew toward the nest, and the bigger bird chased it away, then circled her nest and returned to the same tree as her mate.? 

We left them in peace, and reported the nest to the office.? They said this was a new nest, and this was the first report.? We heard, later, that someone across the river, on the PG side of the river reported the nest to them as well today - but after we did!

Very fun. 

Joanne