Diario de caitlindrasher

During spring break I went with a friend to Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area in Winhall, VT. I often kayak and go birding here, and have seen up to two bald eagles flying over the pond at one time, so I was especially hoping to see a bald eagle during this visit. We walked the trail around the pond on March 11th from 10am-12:15pm. The temperature began at 41F and got up to 55F, with a wind speed of 11 mph. It was initially mostly cloudy, but became mostly sunny by the time we left. The pond still had a layer of ice, though it appeared thin and didn't always meet the shore.

After getting out of the car, I heard what I believed to be a Red-breasted Nuthatch call from the southeast side of the parking lot. From the same direction I also heard a Blue Jay call, and some Black-capped Chickadees.

Walking along the trail, I heard many Black-capped Chickadee Calls, especially in the parts of the trail forested by eastern hemlocks, where I visually spotted 10 Chickadees. I also heard a few American Crow calls while walking on the trail. We stopped at the second main clearing off the trail with the fire pit that has a view of the pond and Stratton Mountain. Here I was able to hear Black-capped Chickadees calling to the south, across the pond, as well as a Blue Jay calling from the same direction.

From this clearing, I looked out over the pond to the southeast. I noticed a dark object on the ice, though for this pond that isn't abnormal - there are many trees sticking out of the water that lived here before the property was flooded with water to become a pond. My first thought was that the object could be the top of an underwater tree, but it started to slowly move. My next thought was that it was a goose, since it appeared to be a large bird. I finally took out my binoculars and realized that it was a Bald Eagle walking on the ice! A minute or two later, it took off and flew into an eastern hemlock tree on the south side of the pond.

Thinking that nothing could top this experience for the rest of my walk around the pond, I was happy to next see a pair of American Crows eating a dead fish on the ice. When they heard my friend and I walking on the trail, they flew and perched on a tamarack tree growing on the floating peat moss in the middle of the pond. I don't think they returned to the fish until we were far out of sight/hearing range. I later saw another American Crow sitting in an eastern hemlock tree on the waters edge, just off the trail.

We eventually turned around and began to make our way back to the parking lot, and when we returned to the clearing we tried to find the Bald Eagle again - but no luck. In that same clearing, however, I saw a Brown Creeper on an eastern white pine tree.

When we were nearly to the car, I heard a flock of Canada Geese calling overhead. I couldn't see them, however, because of the canopy cover of the hemlocks.

I am so glad that we went on our walk when we did, it was amazing to see a Bald Eagle hanging out on the ice! I am curious as to whether the crows caught the fish that they were eating, or if it may have been leftover by the eagle.