This is Bird Note.

A stiff December breeze blowing down the Columbia River

delivers an exhilarating chill.

Here we are on a stretch of river in north central Washington.

The river is held by a series of dams, creating, in effect, a series of massive lakes.

These lakes, in winter, harbor thousands of waterbirds.

As we watch from a high overlook, a bald eagle cries from a nearby snag.

On the river below, a large and nearly circular mass of black dots pulses with movement.

A teeming assemblage of thousands or more American coots.

And the river is dotted with loons, grebes, and diving ducks like golden eyes, as well as flocks of geese and mallards, and more coots, an eagle's banquet, to be sure.

Here comes the eagle. It drops from its riverside perch, flying with deep driving strokes toward the Coots.

The armada of Coots quickly fragments, some diving, others skittering across the water.

As the eagle swoops downward, talons outstretched.

A winter scene repeated many times daily.

You can find out more about the birds of winter on our website, birdnote.org.