I saw the Golden Eagle at the Lonesome Duck today. It was a young bird with the classic white base of its rather long tail, which is still dark on the end. There are some other differences with the Bald Eagle such as feet feather to the toes and a smaller head. The clincher is that both the adult and immature Golden Eagle has golden blond feathers on the back of its head. This can be seen at a great distance with binoculars when the bird turns its head or as it circles when soaring. This particular Golden Eagle was soaring low over the floodplain of Williamson River about twice the height of the Ponderosa Pines growing there. No sound was heard.

My wife and I were wondering yesterday when the first Yellow-headed Blackbirds of the season would show up on the Lonesome Duck. Today was the day! They use the feeders as they pass through during the spring. Although there was just a few today, less than a dozen, over the next month they will peak with up to several dozen per day. They are a handsome bird and normally not seen except within emergent wetlands of the West.