Ruffled Feathers

_DSC4496_DxOnx 72dpi(c), originally uploaded by Donnie Fulks.

Another pair flew by the nest yesterday morning and the occupants did not seem to think it was a social event. I saw this behavior last season. The message is clear- Back off and beat it!

Usually when I hear racket at the nest it is because the the female sees the male coming back from the river with a fish to eat. Yesterday, however, she had seen the other pair coming too close and had called her mate back. He came hustling back to the nest. They were both standing on the nest, back to back with their heads on a swivel watching the intruders. When the nest was buzzed, the talons came out.

These four frames were part of a continuous burst. My camera can only shoot 8 frames per second, so this sequence lasted only about half a second. Those big birds can really move when they want to.

A big thanks to David for loaning me his long lens.