Widdow Skimmer Dragonfly at the East Access Point at Banner Marsh.

 

 

 

Red-winged Blackbird chasing a Red-tailed Hawk.

 

 

Canada Goose and Gosling near the Youth Pond at the East Access Point at Banner Marsh.

 

Barn Swallows at the Pavillian near the Youth Pond.

 

Banner Marsh: East & Main Access points and Bell's Landing

Banner Marsh was gorgeous on this sunny day in May.

 

 

 

Short-billed Dowitchers were foraging along the road heading toward the main levee at the East Access point.

 

 

 

 

Painted Turtles sunning on a pallet in one of the abandoned fish ponds at Banner Marsh.

 

 

Eurasian Tree Sparrow sitting on a nest box at the Main Access area of Banner Marsh.

 

Tree Swallow peering out of a nest box.

 

Eastern Kingbird holding court in the field.

 

Canada Goose and Goslings at the Main Access.

 

 

Bell's Verio sang to me at Banner Marsh, East Access.

 

 

 

Eagles and Eaglets with a Duck

Dad Flew in with a freshly killed duck, dropped it in the nest and sat there looking so proud. The mom totally ignored him at first, while the eaglets looked at the bird, like "what are we supposed to do with that, Dad?" After a few minutes the mom jumped in the nest (probably thinking "I have to do everything around here!") and started pulling it open, feathers flew everywhere. Dad flew off and left Mom to feed the eaglets, which she did, very carefully, feeding first the smallest one, then the one in the middle, and then she stepped over the one in the middle to feed the third eaglet, making sure they all three were fed.

 

 

 

 

 

More Eaglets

 

 

 

 

Three Eaglets in Marshall County

Last Sunday we visited the blind across the highway from the Eagle nest. Other birders were present and they told us there were three eaglets. I was only able to see two, but when we got home I found that little third head in several photos.

For more pholtos or to watch a slideshow, check out my Picasa Web Album:

Eagles and Eaglets

South Peoria Loop: Spring Lake, Chautauqua, and Emiquon

My friend Ed and I drove down to Emiquon on Saturday. We went down on the east side of the river, stopping by Spring Lake Bottoms to check out the waterfowl and Eurasian Tree Sparrows, then drove down to Chautauqua in hopes of seeing the Cattle Egret, which was not present. We had lunch at the Chuck Wagon Restaurant in Havana, crossed the Illinois River and then stopped at Path 2 at Emiquon, the path that leads to the pumphouse. We photographed the dead Carp (The Nature Conservancy recently drained the newly forming lakes to kill off Eurasion Carp), but the Pelicans I found last week were gone.