Thanks Linda for sharing your adventures. I love the Pelicans and was wondering why some had
those knobby things on their beaks and others don't. Some only have one and others have lots, so
I'm wondering if that an indication of their age. I really like the pictures of the eagle, especially the
one looking right at you. She almost looks like she has a very worried look in her eyes. Hope you
get to see the eaglet/s before the tree gets too many leaves on it.
I love Spring and it's awesome seeing the leaves & flowers blooming on the trees in your area.
Hopefully they'll start around here soon.
Thanks again.
Big Hugs
Rose

Linda, I was wondering the same thing that Rose mentioned about the bumps on the beaks of the pelicans.

The Horned Grebes can come to my neighborhood any time and help with the mosquito population.

The eagle nest is really deep. Cyclone shaped.

The younger Mute Swan sure has a thin long neck. Pretty neat to see taking off from the water.

Pretty GBH's.

I love the turtles. I just found out that eagles eat turtles. I never knew. Cute Mr. or Ms. frog. I like when their eyes just poke out from the water.

Beautiful backyard birds and the sweet little fisherman and his dog.
Thanks for the great pics.

Thanks Rose, Candy, and Scott for stopping by and posting your thoughts and comments. I went over to Bird Talk 101 and copied this from the American White Pelican text. It will give you more information on the bill horns.

Their bill is long and flat, with a large throat sac, in the breeding season the bill is bright orange.The bare skin around the eye, and the feet are also a bright oranage. In the breeding season, there is a flattened horn on the upper bill, about one-third the bill's length behind the tip. After the birds have mated and eggs are laid the horn is shed. During the non-breeding season the feet, legs, and bill become duller in color, with the facial skin yellow and the bill, pouch and feet become an orange-flesh color.

Thanks again

Hi Linda I was really behind on your thread. I loved all the pics, especially the turtles. Hope the swans nest where you can find them

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.

Hi Linda * Thanks for sharing your terrific photos. It is a treat each time I visit.
Spring time is so special in the natural world!

Hello Friends,

You are right Doug, Nature is Wonderful !!!! Thanks Iona and Dough for stopping by.

It has been a very busy week in the Great Outdoors. I have been monitoring two eagles nests. at both nests the parents are still incubating or brooding young eaglets. I truly believe it is the ladder. The eggs should be hatched by now and I should be able to see the eaglets soon.

Before I post the photos of the eagles at their nests, I want to update you all on the Mute Swan pair. I have not seen them this week at all on the pond. They should be nesting now too and it is always on the water. I will keep my eyes open for them. I would be very sad if they were gone.

These nest group of photos are from the Pearl nest near the Mississippi River. A few friends and I visited the nest this past week and found one of the parents in the nest and the other flew over us a few times, but nver landed in the nest. We observed for about three hours and the eagle laying in the nest never came off her position.



Parent in nest checking out its mate in the tree.

The parent not in the nest flew off the branch and over head.

It flew into a cliff area across the road from the nest and perched in a tree. These cliff areas are covered with trees compareded to the Great River Road along the Mississippi River.