Ethel&Ernest and the Albino Crow

Not a lot going on with our eagle friends this rain soaked winter. But that does not mean that they are not around. I've spotted one of them at a time upon the 520 light standards, and last week both of them were up there together on the same post. They don't do that very often. It appears that they tend to hunt independently for the most part, but one morning last week there they both were. Ernest appeared to be helping Ethel with some feather issues as we passed by. Another morning one of the eagles was just arriving at the sentry post atop the favored light pole, but when they are flying like that I have a hard time telling which one it is. When one sits alone atop the standard, however, it is usually possible to tell Ethel from Ernest by the size. He is considerably smaller than she is.......... I've also been entranced by the albino crow, who I first noticed several months ago with a small murder of crows upon the telephone wires on 100th Avenue NE. Ever since then I watch for him (or her) and have seen the same white crow several times since then, most recently this morning. Interestingly enough, this was the first time I've seen the albino crow with just one other crow. And I wonder if perhaps they are a mated pair? How nice, if they are, that crows do not appear to harass another crow for 'looking different'. Surely they notice that this one is the 'wrong color'....? From a bit of reading I've learned that albino animals are often sterile, though not always. It makes one wonder what the offspring look like from such a pairing should the albino mate be fertile. Maybe come springtime, if I see some more albinos on the telephone wires I will have my answer about the offspring of such a mating.