PHOTO OF THE DAY: BIRD WATCHING

This photo was taken and submitted by Courier reader Marnette Hofer, who lives north of Silver Lake several miles beyond Freeman. She also included the following for context:

For the past month or so, there have been up to 50 bald eagles hanging out at Silver Lake north of Freeman. Eagles follow the migration of the geese, watching for weaker birds that die along the way — they are nature’s clean-up crew. This year, the geese – and the eagles – have stayed in the area much longer than usual. There are a couple factors as to why this happened: 1) We’ve had a mild winter with almost no snow. The geese go out and forage in area fields and then return to the lake, where an area has remained open. 2) The bird flu (H5N1) has taken a toll on the migratory bird population, providing a plentiful food supply for the eagles. At the same time, the presence of bird flu has kept waterfowl hunters away, so there have been fewer disturbances in the area. The eagles have made themselves at home in the large old cottonwood trees along the northwest part of the lake. You’ll often find some perched in the trees, watching the geese from above, while others stand motionless on the ice, waiting for their next meal. A mix of ages can be found; the older eagles (both male and female) are easily identified by their stately white heads.