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Re: Golden Eagle Kent County 15 March

From:

Leo Weigant

Reply-To:

Leo Weigant

Date:

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:33:41 -0400

Walter, 

Your Roman allusion reminds me of the best pun I've ever seen on a license
plate   A fellow birder in Virginia has tags that read "AUSPEX."

When I enquired, he explained that the Roman priests who interpreted omens
in the flight of birds (see Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar") were called the
"Auspices," a word we still use occasionally.    The singular of Auspices
is, of course, "Auspex," perhaps history's first professional birders.

Leo Weigant




On 3/16/07 11:22 AM, "Walter Ellison" <> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> On our way back from taking our car to town for a headlight replacement
> and check-up yesterday (15 March) we noticed a large dark raptor soaring
> just north of the intersection of MD-298 and Buck Neck Road. At first I
> thought it was a Turkey Vulture but it didn't look right in either
> subtle details of shape or flight behavior. Nancy said it was an eagle
> and that's when I decided we'd best stop and take a closer look. Through
> the binoculars we could see a clean broad dark tail band and white
> tail-base, a pale band across the upper wing coverts, a hood of pale
> buff contrasting with a dark face, throat and bill, and the distinctive
> long wings with a subtle bulge in the secondaries. A beautiful sub-adult
> GOLDEN EAGLE. The age was confirmed by the mixed ages of the bird's
> flight feathers. The bird was last seen headed south toward the Melitota
> crossroads. It felt portentous seeing this symbol of Roman power on the
> ides of March.
> 
> In other news of spring the spring beauties have burst into bloom in the
> woods behind our house. Take heart, this weather will give way to spring
> in full bloom.
> 
> Good Birding,
> 
> Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin
> 
> 23460 Clarissa Rd
> Chestertown, MD 21620
> 
> phone: 410-778-9568
> 
> e-mail: rossgull(AT)baybroadband.net
> 
> "Nothing is as easy as you would like it to be, and nothing is as hard
> as you might fear"