Despite a late start and cold, wet weather, there were some very good birds about today.  A friend, Jon, and I went to Eagle Fest at Blackwater, where we watched the Gyrfalcon fly and heard a talk about owls – and I got very thoroughly chilled.  About 2 in the afternoon we set out to explore Wildlife Drive.  There are still snow geese and tundra swan present, although very few ducks.  

 

In the pool on the right at the last turn heading out of Wildlife Drive, we noticed a large patch of white on the far shore, something like very out-of place snow.  Putting bins on the scene showed quite a sight – a Bald Eagle was holding down a snow goose, plucking the feathers and tossing them on the wind.  She (? – it was a big Eagle) really would pluck and then shake her head, scattering the feathers. You could almost imagine her saying “ptooie” as she spit them out.  I thought the bird was quite dead, but my friend saw the wing quivering when the Eagle ceased plucking for a moment – hopefully only a post-mortem reflex.  

 

We watched (bins and scope) while she finished plucking, then went about eating her fill.  When she was done, she took a few drinks from the pond, flapped her wings a bit, went back for another bite or two and then appeared to try to carry the carcass off.  That didn’t work very well.  The Eagle eventually abandoned the carcass and flew to a nearby snag, defe
cated, then fluffed it’s feathers – still close enough to watch the carcass.   

 

The other highlight of the day was what we believe was a trumpeter swan.  At one point, midway through Wildlife Drive, we saw a big white bird among three Canada Geese, walking along a field.  It took some maneuvering, but finally we got a good look – it was clearly a tundra swan, slightly larger than the geese.  Near the end of Wildlife Drive, in the same pool as the Bald Eagle, there were three Canada Geese next to a swan.  A really, really BIG swan.  This swan was easily twice the size of the Canada Geese – a very stark contrast.  The bill was large and solid black – no yellow visible.  The bird kept it’s head tucked in it’s wings for awhile, but with patience Jon finally got two good head on looks at the feather/bill line, using the scope. He described it as a V shape, much more compatible with a trumpeter than tundra.  I could not get a clear view – could not get the bins or the scope on the head when the bird was turned.  Neither Jon nor I are qualified to determine if this was a Trumpeter, but the size alone seems to argue it as likely.   I suppose another possibility is that we had a non-yellow-bill-spot Tundra, and our size-comparison Canada Geese were in fact Cackling Geese.  

 

If anyone else has seen a Trumpeter – or a trio of Cackling Geese – at20Blackwater, I sure would love to hear about it!  

 

 

Joanne

 

Joanne Howl, DVM

West River, MD