We've had a pair of swans at the river here since fall. A few weeks ago I was walking and a woman whom I'd never seen before slowed her car and asked if I'd seen them. She was concerned that lately only one had been seen at a time. I hadn't seen either of them for a while. We both hoped they were nesting. Her parting words were, well, keep a look out for them.

I pondered that she entrusted the swan watch to me, even though I'd probably never see her again. However, I did see the two swans about a week later. This weekend we were walking and I saw the same woman on the river bank with a birdwatching telescope thing. So I was able to report that the pair had been sighted. And got to look at a bald eagle through her telescope.

We've had eagles along the river for years. Once I saw one flying with a big branch in its beak, sort of an equivalent of a twig for a songbird, I guess: nesting stuff. Yesterday I saw this one. Then he came and perched in a tree near by. It would have been a perfect pic the way the sun was on him, but my camera just doesn't have enough zoom power. (BTW, the swans that I thought had left are still around. I guess they like wintering here.)