Winter Birding: Part 2

 

We walked a trail that follows the Nith River which is a very slow moving, winding river when it is not in flood. Small islands are now accessible from the shore as the shallow water is well frozen and safe to walk on. This is an excellent trail for birding in the spring and summer but I have not been here in the winter. For the past several years, I have observed the pair of Bald Eagles that nest here in a pine tree above the river. Unlike the camouflaged owl we also saw yesterday, the eagles stand out in dominance and majesty over their chosen territory. 

It is mid-Febrary, time to add more sticks and repair the aerie in preparation for the nesting season. Other people walking along the trail told us the eagles returned about two weeks ago and have been engaging in mating behaviour. In this area, they lay their eggs in late winter and incubate them for just over a month. Young eagles do not fledge from the nest for 10 to 12 weeks after they hatch, unlike smaller birds like American Robins whose young fledge in 2 weeks.  Eagles need an early start as it will be August before their young will be independent hunters.

This pair were just chilling in the bright sunshine. The female eagle is generally a third larger than the male making her ideal for incubating eggs in cold temperatures, and allowing him to be a better hunter. They mate for life and do switch roles from time to time. I have watched this pair exchange parenting duties in past years. 

A winter snow storm is expected today, with bitterly cold temperatures over the next week. But early signs of spring have also arrived with lengthening days, warm sunlight and changes in bird and animal behaviour. The flowers of the red maples, which bloom weeks before the leaves emerge, are ready to open when the conditions are right. The certainty of the seasons is reassuring when the rest of life seems topsy-turvy.