I am fortunate to have a son that works for MFW and invites me along on some of the neat things that he does. This eagle banding exercise took place at Wachusett Reservoir in the spring of 2009. The banding effort is labor intensive with detailed attention given to proper knots and ropes for the climber . When the nest is finally reached extreme care is used with removing the eagle chick(s). Once on the ground each chick is measured , weighed and a DNA sample taken then banded.

Having the opportunity to hold one of the eagle chicks while it was being banded was nothing less than an " Awesome Experience"
Jim

Weatherman was a bit off this morning, It was suppose to be overcast with 30% chance of snow showers. With the light snow and little accumulation would make for a good hike on one of the plowed east side  roads  This would make it easy finding and identifying tracks in the snow. I really enjoy hitting the trail at first light.

 

Walking slowly and pausing occasionally did not present any photo ops until I reached the water. About 100yds in front of me, two otters played. It was comical to watch.

 

 

Getting a few distant pics I moved slowly in attempt to close the gap. The otters wanted no part of me watching ,and slipped into the water and were gone. Hoping they would return I hustled and settled in to within about 100ft from where I last saw them. About twenty minutes passed and up comes one head then the second. Both otters scanned and thoroughly looked at the area I was previously standing at. Comfortable that any danger had passed ,the two otters came up out of the hole  ate fish and relaxed, I was wearing winter camo and standing  motionless next to some drift wood .  I went undetected close to an hour. Every once in a while I would push the shutter on the camera. Looking at this next pic would suggest that I had been bagged !

 
I cropped the pic to bring it in closer.  Using a polarized filter certainly would helped in this enviroment
With my hike in no animal tracks had crossed the road. On the hike out around 10:30AM, I crossed six sets of squirrel tracks and two deer.
Jim

The northeast side of the reservoir made for a nice hike this morning. The sunrise added to the day. Wind was almost nonexistent until the sun came up. Then it got breezy at times. No photo opportunities this morning. I did see where an otter came out of the water and ventured into the hardwoods with coyote tracks following it. While sitting on the shoreline I did spot one distant eagle and several seagulls. On the hike back two mature bald eagles flew  out of a white pine not too far in front of me. I readied the camera in anticipation of a close pic with them flying. Both eagles soared just inside the wood line which prevented any pics.
A few years back I had the opportunity with participating in a spring eagle banding project on Wachusett Reservoir. I will dig the pics out and share in the next couple of days.

A  pic from this morning.
Jim

There was some confusion with the eagle leg band number identification that was communicated earlier. The band  below belonged to a immature eagle banded on May 23,2012 in the Gate 43 area. The eagle weighed 4.5 lbs and had 1 sibling.

 

Jim

 

Was I surprised to see the temperature at 30 degrees this morning. Put my camera , hiking equipment snack and water together and out the door at 6:00 AM. I headed to another east side gate that I haven't hiked in a month or so. I figured it would of been traveled heavy with the holidays and all. I couldn't be more wrong. Since the snow Saturday night only two hikers waked in about a mile and turned around. Where there tracks ended , critter tracks started. In my five mile hike I crossed over eight or ten different deer tracks. Most were traveling in groups of two, three porcupine, one fox, four or five coyote  and one I wasn't certain maybe an otter.
I had the place to myself with comfortable temperatures and little wind .
Well the frequency of hiking with the holidays has come to the end with today's hike.  I manged to get out seven times over the last two weeks. Unfortunately ( Thankful For A Job) back to the grind tomorrow. Will have to wait till weekends to hike.
With the cold front comimg in tonight will freeze up most open water
Happy New Year
Jim

I am guessing an otter or possum with tail. Will research later