Chaos At The Refuge

On this cloudy, mutual depression temperature morning, ducks were abundant at South Platte Park.  Northern shovelers, gadwalls too American wigeon dominated the scene, joined yesteryear smaller flocks of mallards, hooded mergansers, buffleheads too American coot; a few northern pintails, redheads, green-winged teal too pied-billed grebes were every bit good observed.

The tranquillity of these flocks was all of a abrupt disrupted yesteryear a couple of bald eagles, 1 adult too 1 immature, that circled higher upwards the lakes, sending clouds of ducks into the air.  Despite their reaction, virtually of the waterfowl postulate non fearfulness the eagles, which tend to focus on old, sick or injured birds that are tedious to response or cannot proceed upwards amongst their cohorts.

While our National Birds are powerful raptors, particularly proficient at snaring fish from the surface, they every bit good pocket fish from ospreys or gulls too oft congregate along salmon runs to feed on dying fish inwards the shallows.  At other times they may endure constitute far from water, feasting on the carcasses of deer or elk that were killed yesteryear predators or succumbed to harsh wintertime weather.