ARTISTS AND BIRDS
"A National Beauty"
Bald Eagle
I love driving in
Eagle country. I like to search the skies and scan each tall pine tree
for a spot of white. Nature camouflages very well and challenges you to
look very hard. Birding is about patience and luck.
When I spot a Bald
Eagle, I get all excited and my honey is glad he is the one driving.
There is something about a Bald Eagle that is magnificent. To me they
are a symbol of this country, of the freedom we enjoy as a people, of
the strength and courage we exhibit as we work together in a common
goal.
The Eagle is
special and sacred to many. Randy Macey, Mohawk Indian, said.... "When
the world was new, the Creator made all the birds. He colored their
feathers like a bouquet of flowers. The Creator then gave each a
distinct song to sing. The Creator instructed the birds to greet each
day with a chorus of their songs. Of all the birds, our Creator chose
the Eagle to be the leader. The Eagle flies the highest and sees the
furthest of all creatures....."
Bald Eagles can fly
to altitudes of more than 10,000 feet. They can soar aloft for hours
using natural wind currents and thermal updrafts. Eagles are strong.
When an Eagle catches a fish in water and needs to swim to shore, it
uses its mighty wings as a paddle to get there.
In the early 1700's
the Bald Eagle population was nearly 500,000. By 1960 there were less
than 500 pairs. Mass shooting, pesticides used in crops, destruction of
habitat, poisons and pollutants in waterways and food sources all
contributed to the decline. Environmental protection laws and
conservation efforts have brought the Bald Eagle back for us to admire
and enjoy.
Pat Brier is the
artist this week. Pat loves to draw and paint. This Bald Eagle was a
new challenge for her. Thanks Pat for sharing your talent with us.
The Red Cliffs
Audubon’s next meeting is Wednesday, November 12th. Cordell
Peterson will present "Raptors of the Skies" at the Tonaquint Nature
Center, 1851 South Dixie Drive, St. George, at 7:00 p.m. For more
information about where to see Bald Eagles or the Raptor presentation,
call Marilyn Davis 435 673-0996.
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