An immature bald eagle, just over a year old, makes a grab for a fish at the Zane Grey viewing area. This young eagle will mature and obtain adult plumage at four to five years of age. Winter is a critical time for the young; many do not make through their first winter
Return of the migrant eagles
In the past month, a number of migrant eagles are augmenting the population of resident bald eagles that nest on the main stem of the Delaware River and the surrounding region.
The migrant bald eagles, as well as a few migrant golden eagles, come down in the late fall to escape the bitterly cold Canadian winter. In the case of bald eagles, it is a case of getting enough to eat; there would not be enough ice-free water in Canada to forage for fish (their primary food source) and they would starve.
The January garden is a welter of ice and snow sculpture. Lumps and spikes of shifting design spring, as if from a lucid dream. The effect is deepened by white-out snow, when heaven and earth appear to meld into seamless whiteness. The world seems magical in its serenity, and its promise of renewed vitality brewing in the earth below. The new year sparks with anticipation of fresh plantings, and a review of past successes.
