Saw an EAGLE !

RSKY · Feb 23, 2016

Driving home from visiting the youngest last week we saw an eagle sitting on the side of the road. It was eating a dead possum. Not a very good picture of our nation's mighty symbol. Geezz, with all the dead deer on that road it had to be eating a possum.

Anyway my wife started screaming, "turn around, turn around", so I slammed on the brakes and made a U-turn onto the east bound lanes. We pulled up and stopped about a hundred feet from it. It was huge! Didn't realize they got that big. So wife and I had a quick discussion and she got her I-phone set to video and I slowly creeped up on the bird while she got ready to film it. Just as it squatted to fly she pushed the record button as the majestic beast turned it's back to us, spread that huge tail and majestically and powerfully flew up to a tree a short distance away.

I would post the video here but in her excitement she pushed the 'back' button instead of the record button.

Oh well.

RSKY

kcflhrc · Feb 23, 2016

So, you interrupted his meal? Just kidding, we have a few around here. They amaze me every time I see one. Beautiful birds.

Thomas · Feb 23, 2016

Good chance there was another eagle near by...match,getting to be that time of season to to mate.

s219 · Feb 23, 2016

They are huge -- we have a bunch that sit in trees on my property (can only see in winter months when leaves are gone though). I feel like it's special every time I see one. Downside is that they often sit in a tall cypress tree above my dock to eat, and then crap. Bald eagle crap dropping from 80 feet up makes quite a mess below.

I have seen them a couple times out in a field eating off a deer carcass with the turkey buzzards standing back watching. Don't really think of a bald eagle as a scavenger, but they are.

They are also bullies -- I think the most amazing thing I have seen, multiple times, are bald eagles stealing fish from ospreys in mid air. I happen to think the osprey is a more beautiful bird, and they work pretty hard getting fish all day. The eagles will circle overhead and then come screaming down to steal the fish in mid air.

K Arno · Feb 23, 2016

There are a few nesting pairs along the river here now. and a peregrine nests in one of the office buildings.
Survey of bald eagles find 30 nests statewide, 8 along Connecticut River | masslive.com

EddieWalker · Feb 23, 2016

Very cool.

We get a few bald eagles here during the winter. They nest around the lakes and sometimes close enough to a road that people can see them. When this happens, the county has to put up barricades and traffic control stuff to keep people from blocking the road. On the weekend, it's a mess with dozens and dozens of cars pulled off of the road, partially blocking the road and sometimes, just stopped in the middle of the road. Some people bring chairs and set up their cameras on tripods to watch and get pictures. It's worse then Yellowstone!!!!

buckeyefarmer · Feb 23, 2016

There's a webcam on an eagle nest in PA. Thought I saw a dead cat in the nest one day.

Paddy · Feb 23, 2016

RSKY,

Cool to see them up close. We can see an eagle nest from our deck. We set up a spotting scope when they are sitting on the nest. When they hatch, it's real neat to see their downy heads pop up now and again.

We bought a mounting device for the I-phone to attach to the scope. So we have stills and vid of the young and mother. Our pair is quite old now, thinking late 80"s. Surprised they are still mating! I've heard if one dies, they will be open to a second mate. Made me wonder if the male dies and the female takes on a younger male. Then a few years later the old females dies, will the male stay and find a new young female? I wonder because, for 25 years we have had an eagle nest in view.

JRobyn · Feb 23, 2016

https://www.facebook.com/HarrisonBayEagleCam

toppop52 · Feb 23, 2016

We have a lot of eagles now, 40 years ago they were near extinction here. There's a nesting pair of year arounders that circle the fields here. They catch rabbits, mice, and yes, I too saw one with a dead possum, when I drove up he flew into a tree with his prize, internals hanging to the ground! They will run buzzards away from a carcass, buzzards want no part of an eagle. The migrating eagles seem to concentrate around the water eating fish, the locals will eat anything.

/pine · Feb 23, 2016

We've had a pair in the area for a few years...have one younger just one that's getting it's adult plumage/colors and an even younger one...They fish along the river here and harass the ducks and turkeys without much luck...they do catch a lot of trout though...

barko1 · Feb 23, 2016

I haven't seen one in awhile but did see a Golden Eagle out in NM a few years back. A lot of reasons to get to Alaka and eagles are one of them. I think it was in Valdez where they were as common as sparrows, saw a dozen or more hanging around town.

Ed of all trades · Feb 23, 2016

I saw my first one about 10 years ago and now I see them about every year. Glad they are around, as you have said beautiful birds. There is a nest in the farm I grew up on now and we have one fly around here about once or twice a year. Ed

toppop52 · Feb 23, 2016

Picture of my eagle in my back yard...

roadhunter · Feb 23, 2016

They are amazing creatures. Saw these pics a while back. Eagle killed an antelope.

Wagtail · Feb 23, 2016

EddieWalker said:
Very cool.

We get a few bald eagles here during the winter. They nest around the lakes and sometimes close enough to a road that people can see them. When this happens, the county has to put up barricades and traffic control stuff to keep people from blocking the road. On the weekend, it's a mess with dozens and dozens of cars pulled off of the road, partially blocking the road and sometimes, just stopped in the middle of the road. Some people bring chairs and set up their cameras on tripods to watch and get pictures. It's worse then Yellowstone!!!!

Slight 'threadjack': Tourist Season here in Tassie means an added road safety hazard... 'Orientals' (OK, Chinese) tourists stopping their cars to take pictures of roadkill! Doesn't matter where the critter got nailed, open highway or curvy mountain pass, they'll stop and snap a photo.

OK, back on topic; I've got a nesting pair of Wedgetail Eagles a couple of kms to the NE. Beautiful in flight and ticks-off the Lapwings to no end. :laughing:

dstig1 · Feb 23, 2016

Saw this one last summer in a tree overlooking our house. They are around here with the river nearby, and i see them fly overhead from time to time, but I hadn't seen one hang out here before. Got some decent photos of it.

Many years back I was at work walking past a conference room around Xmas party time and one of the groups on our floor had a lady that volunteered at the local Raptor Center. She had them bring in some big birds for the party. As I looked over there was a Bald Eagle sitting on a guys arm or shoulder (I forget). Dayum they are BIG. That was a wake up moment for me seeing something like that at eye level from about 10-15', totally unexpected! A couple other birds there too, but the Eagle was the big one.

TomSeller · Feb 23, 2016

Kinda nice to see, but they do chase/kill other beneficial predator birds. Barn owls don't last long, I'd rather see the owls, better mousers. Too many eagles but I have to live with them, today I saw an immature with the head just starting to get white feathers. This one packed his lunch off to somewhere else when I came up to him on the tractor.

2ndhalf · Feb 24, 2016

buckeyefarmer said:
There's a webcam on an eagle nest in PA. Thought I saw a dead cat in the nest one day.

A dead cat and an eagle in one picture.. a good day! I saw one flying over my neighbor's house Saturday while out moving some dirt. It is awesome to see them.