Sams in Love (?)

We had a day off today… A day off work and a respite from the hideous gloomy weather of the past week. So of course we headed for the dike.

Hopes of a "Sam sighting" were rewarded…

…doubly.

Recap:  Heading north on the dike, we almost immediately espied "Sam" perched in a tree overlooking the channel.  As my camera rapidly ran out of battery power, I snapped off shot after shot, hoping for at least one "postable" picture.  Dog and Dad finally dragged me away. 

A few hundred yards further along, I spotted "Samantha" surveying the landscape from her own cottonwood.  Cranked up croaking camera once again.

Eventually we continued our stroll, threw the ball for the dog, turned round at the "osprey tower," (ospreys were not home today...) and headed back.  And discovered that "Sam" and "Samantha" had decided to co-habitate. 

Now, of course, I have no clue of the sex of either of these birds, don't know how to tell...  Didn't consider they might be of opposite sexes until we came upon their tryst.  And I'm only guessing that they are a pair.  But it seems likely...