It's official! Ethel & Ernest are raising a pair of eaglets.

Another blogger who lives near the Arboretum has posted a video of Ethel and Ernest and two eaglet chicks in the nest above the Golf Course. This confirms what we have suspected. What fabulous news. The eaglets (gender undetermined) are already spreading their wings. They should be ready to fledge sometime next month. The local Cable News channel (NW Cable News) did a special report on our 520 eagles last evening. Some have named them Ava and Albert, but whatever they are called, they remain Ethel and Ernest to us, and we love our magnificent feathered pair. The video shows Ernest actively feeding the youngsters. Again....it is magic, that Ethel was able to find another mate after Eddie and bring him back to her nest in The Arboretum. Ernest, we will be forever grateful to you for following your love to her land and people. You are one special guy. A true Millennium Man.

Update on the Chickadee Family

Regarding the city grandson, and the baby birds that we at first thought were another family of juncos. It turns out they were black capped chickadees. And I'm happy to report that the chickadee parents forgave their youngsters for smelling like a human and resumed feeding them their diet of caterpillars and seeds. All is well that ends well.

Ethel, looking eastward

Saw Ethel again, holding court upon her favorite light post. Where is Ernest!?!? We have not seen him for a long while. But Ethel was there Tuesday afternoon, gazing toward the east. Her feathers looked a little ruffled. Perhaps parenting is making our girl a little haggard, but she'll surely persevere. I wonder how she reacts to a big thunderstorm like we are having right at this moment. Unusual for around here where one can typically walk between the raindrops without getting wet. We call it "background rain". Anyway, a downpour has suddenly replaced our sunny afternoon, and even as I type, it is ending. The sun will be back out in a half hour.