Eagles Attack

     I’m not talking about the Philadelphia eagles when I say eagles attack.  I’m talking about two evil predators that welcomed our first loon back to the northwoods by attempting to kill her. 

      I was standing on the dock taking pictures of the beautiful snow covered trees enjoying Lorna the loon’s silhoutte as she swam in front of Riverside Cabin.  Then out of the sky dove two eagles headed straight for Lorna.  They must have gotten a piece of her as Lorna let out a merciful cry before she dove beneath the surface of the black icy water.

     The eagles skimmed along the surface of the water after their vicious attack before they swooped upward.   They flew over me standing on the dock as I shook my fist at them and yelled at them to leave Lorna alone.  I looked back to see Lorna ruffling her wings on the water’s surface as if she was making sure all systems were still a go. 

     I hurried inside to ask Mike to get the shotgun.  As I told him the story he reminded me it was illegal to shoot bald eagles.  I didn’t need reminding but I wanted to use the blank shots we have to scare them away from her.  Mike didn’t agree with my tactics of interfering with nature and suggested I just let it takes its course. 

     While I’m not happy about it that’s what I’m doing(in between running out onto the dock every 15 minutes to make sure Lorna’s ok and there isn’t an eagle in the sky).  It’s funny how one day I can look at an eagle and admire them with respect and the next I loathe them.  The same thing for wolves.  They are so beautiful and majestic as they run through the woods but so fierce and ugly when they have just killed a moose.  This is the part of nature that I don’t like.  But I guess that’s how life is.

     I guess I can be fierce and ugly and have people respect me one minute and loathe me the next.  It’s strange how in the animal kingdom only the strong survive but in our two legged kingdom the weak survive too.   Too much to ponder.

     More snow last night

April 23rd on the Gunflint Trail