The eagle has landed

[Winger Ed.]

Before we moved out here, the only times I've ever seen a bald eagle was on TV or in a picture.
There's a retired wildlife photographer that has photographed a few in a swampy/marsh sort of area
about 20 miles from here. He uses a camera with a lens on it about the size of your leg.
But I've not seen one in person though.

We have a big dead branch at the top of a tree in the back yard that often has red tail hawks
or cooper's hawks perched in it while they are looking for dinner.
(I like to think they are helping me repel the great squirrel invasion)

The picture doesn't do it justice, but this morning I was watching a big bird of prey in the tree,
but it didn't really look like one of the normal hawks.

Upon closer examination--- its an immature bald eagle!!
Its head hasn't turned solid white yet, it's sort of a gray, I think its about 3-4 years old.

I thought that was pretty cool, and I'll be on the lookout for its mama and papa.

[TimD]

I had my first eagle sighting in a dead cherry along my fence line a few years ago. They are an amazing sight. It was fully mature and the largest bird I have ever seen. They are slowly becoming more common in our area and are always exciting to see!

[Thundarstick]

Looks more like an osprey to me. Even the way is perched on the branch says osprey. Immature bald eagles are chestnut brown with a rough mottled appearance.
Bald eagles are regular local birds for us, nest in the vicinity, and are quite common around home.

[Electrod47]

Its funny this topic just came up for me also, just yesterday. Down on my pistol range visible from the kitchen window came a 4-5ft wingspan Bald Eagle landing on a 5ft telephone pole I use for shooting "over the hill melons". Grabbed my binoc's and me and the wife watched him for a few minutes til the dog noticed him also and started a rucus outside. First time here near Pachuta Mississippi in at least 15 years.

[Three44s]

Eagles are known to take out other birds of prey like your hawks. It might be waiting for a hawk sandwich.

Three44s

[pworley1]

We have 4 or 5 pairs within a 30 mile radius of our house and they will stop by our lake from time time for a fish dinner as they pass by. They are always an amazing sight.

[MUSTANG]

Kalispell house has numerous Bald Eagles in the neighborhood. (They swooped down and ate some of my juvenile chickens last year). We also have Golden Eagles and a variety of Hawks.

Moapa house has some hawks; but the Owls are the most present predators - lost several cats to them.

[tja6435]

We have tons of Golden Eagles around these parts, but I also see Bald Eagles pretty often. The Golden eagles are chicken snipers.

[Winger Ed.]

Looks more like an osprey to me.

Interesting.
Farther down near the swampy end of the lake, people talk all the time about the few eagles.

The 'bird map' shows osprey winter here, but nobody has ever mentioned seeing them.
It did have a view of the lake from our tree, but there are way more places
that are much better for a fish eating bird than right here.

[beemer]

There aren't any Bald Eagles around here, biggest thing we have is the Redtail. Twenty or so years ago we would ride to Boxerworks in Watkinsville,Ga for a BMW bike rally. There were Bald Eagles in that area. Always looked for them, impressive sight.

[CastingFool]

I've been fortunate to see bald eagles about a mile or two of my house. Once, coming home, spotted a big bird flying along the road, then make a wide sweeping turn and landing on an open field. The next time, it was in the same area, but it was on the very top of a very tall tree. The eagle was very easy to see as it was in the fall, and the leaves had already dropped. This was about 2 miles from my house, in the very southern lower peninsula

[Vopie]

Called White Headed Buzzards around here!

[Minerat]

Had a place to shoot ground rats out north of Platteville one year. Had been shooting a while when I noticed a whitehead dining on a dead one on the far west side of the PD town. Had to move to another area. This lasted for about 10 shots when another showed up for a free dinner. By the time I was ready to leave I had 3 adults and 4 juveniles following me around the property for the free meals. This started a trend where if they were in the area they would show up the minute anyone started shooting. F&WS said we would scare them off by shooting in the area. They were like buzzards in a gut pile, you could get with 10 feet of them before they would fly then only till you left the area. Neat birds but not as fragile as the feds would have you believe.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

We get the occasional visit from a bald eagle, have an irrigation reservoir nearby, they do look fancy sitting in the sun. Neighbor's boy lost a goat kid to a golden eagle a few years ago. Have had resident pair of horned owls since we moved here. Had nesting redtail hawks for a few years, the redtail hawks were good rattler killers, saw them a few times with sizable rattlers, a couple Cooper's are around a lot, plus a few others. Had a snowy owl pass-thru one year, really spectacular, makes up for the long drive for groceries.

[Good Cheer]

Many years ago seeing the bald eagles return to Liberty County, Texas was an almost spiritual experience.
Like OMG is that... yeah, those big boogers are back.

[Hogtamer]

Have seen one twice flying over my place near the big lake. Both times being chased by crows!

[Texas by God]

I have seen exactly ONE on our farm in 64 years. And exactly ONE mountain lion!
Mexican Eagles show up occasionally down here.
Out in the High Plains, at Coyote Lake(near Needmore)- we’ve seen lots of Golden and Bald eagles there- and hundreds of other species.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrWolf]

Back in South Jersey I have video somewhere of a bald eagle trying to get a duck when they lowered our lake and only s decent sized stream was running through it. That eagle tried like 20 minutes to get the duck who would duck under water each time the eagle dove for it. Was pretty cool.

[BLAHUT]

Before we moved out here, the only times I've ever seen a bald eagle was on TV or in a picture.
There's a retired wildlife photographer that has photographed a few in a swampy/marsh sort of area
about 20 miles from here. He uses a camera with a lens on it about the size of your leg.
But I've not seen one in person though.

We have a big dead branch at the top of a tree in the back yard that often has red tail hawks
or cooper's hawks perched in it while they are looking for dinner.
(I like to think they are helping me repel the great squirrel invasion)

The picture doesn't do it justice, but this morning I was watching a big bird of prey in the tree,
but it didn't really look like one of the normal hawks.

Upon closer examination--- its an immature bald eagle!!
Its head hasn't turned solid white yet, it's sort of a gray, I think its about 3-4 years old.

I thought that was pretty cool, and I'll be on the lookout for its mama and papa.

I have bald eagles here in my back yard, had them nesting on my place up north. If anyone is interested ? PM me your e-mail address and I will forward a picture. I cannot get it to load on here ?? I have a picture of a mature bald eagle sitting on a grave head stone here at the Minneapolis national cemetery.

[BLAHUT]

Interesting.
Farther down near the swampy end of the lake, people talk all the time about the few eagles.

The 'bird map' shows osprey winter here, but nobody has ever mentioned seeing them.
It did have a view of the lake from our tree, but there are way more places
that are much better for a fish eating bird than right here.

I have ospreys nesting in my back yard here.
Bald eagles visit the back yard.
Have had timber wolves in the yard.
Have had mountain lions here in the yard.
Not to mention all flavor's of hawks and owls.

[15meter]

In south east Michigan, we have dozens of nesting pairs. We see them when we are on the skeet range( we're less than a half mile from the very west end of Lake Erie). Most I have seen at one time was seven, out in a field along a creek flats about 6 miles west of my house.

They patrol along the creek flats starting at the lake, heading inland 10-15 miles.

I passed an osprey nest yesterday that had 4 birds in it. The nest was put up a number of years ago to encourage ospreys to repopulate the area. I've seen a natural osprey nest this spring. Apparently the DNR'S plan is working.

[quilbilly]

If you are near a lake with fish and ospreys, baldies love to steal their fish (beats working, you know). They have spoiled many a coyote calling adventure for me so I have taken to calling them "fish buzzards". I rescued one once who got him(her)self trapped in floating weeds. Sitting in the back of a 10 foot Jon-boat, I nosed the boat up to the bird and the bird used its huge wings to flop aboard the bow. That was impressive. I tossed the bird a small bass he watched me land and away he went (beats working).

[rbuck351]

I worked at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward AK for about 6 years. After work during the silver salmon run several officers would go snagging at the beach in Seward. I had caught another one and was taking the second one I caught to put on the beach behind me with the first. There was a bald eagle snatching the first one and he flew off with about a 10lb silver.

If you wanted to see bald eagles one would drive to the docks by the fish cleaning stations. Usually would see 30 to 50 waiting for fish parts. See them once in a while here in MT.

[Thundarstick]

Called White Headed Buzzards around here!

I call most raptors "skyotes"! There just protected coyotes with wings! You got the white headed buzzard rite! They'll happily eat on a road killed deer while cars go by.

[pete501]

No bald eagles here but we have deer with hair loss syndrome.

[MaryB]

Quite a few nesting pairs in the river near me so I see them often as they cruise over the prairie looking for food. Had one in the backyard this spring!

[MUSTANG]

“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

“With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country…

“I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America… He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

— Benjamin Franklin

[wv109323]

I was in Pike Co. KY. driving along the side of a creek. I noticed a large bird flying within the creek bed. It flew along side my car for 1/2 to 3/4 mile. It sure looked like a bald eagle but I never knew one to act this way. Apparently others have had the same experience when I asked the locals.

[Jeff Michel]

It was quite a novelty to see an eagle twenty years ago. since then, like 15 Meter, I live close to Lake Erie and it's not unusual to see several over the course of a day and many nests. ODNR strongly suggests that people not get too close to any nest and never do anything to scare or harass any eagle. They maintain they are too sensitive to deal with human interaction. The nesting pair that live in a tree right about my buddies shooting range must not of gotten the memo, numerous times we have worked up loads for our rifles and they paid zero attention to gunfire, talking, laughing, cursing, you name it. If memory serves, they have been at this nest for four or five years, it's getting pretty impressive, not quite pool table size but close. It's in an enormous sycamore so it should hold it up for a couple more years.

[WRideout]

We have had one or two bald eagles that circled around downtown Butler; they must live somewhere closer to water. I once found a crowd of people at North Park, Allegheny County, observing and photographing a perched bald eagle. In my neighborhood we have a mated pair of redtail hawks.

Wayne

[Markopolo]

Here ya go… a couple of my pics…

316012

316013

316014

Enjoy

[Thumbcocker]

I call most raptors "skyotes"! There just protected coyotes with wings! You got the white headed buzzard rite! They'll happily eat on a road killed deer while cars go by.

Saw one in deep Southern Illinois eating a road killed opossum. Never looked at them the same after that.

[Wayne Smith]

When I was working I could see an Osprey nest in a cell tower out my window. Spent many an hour watching them with my binoculars when a client did not show up. Almost every year I would watch them defend their nest from Bald Eagles who apparently wanted to take it over. Eventually a tree grew up between us and I lost my clear sight. Then my office moved.

[bedbugbilly]

Great photo - great post!

This particular Eagle (the symbol of our nation) is a smart bird . . . it landed in a "Free State". :-)

[David2011]

About 15-20 years ago in Lafayette, LA a new street was being built. Environmentalists saw that there was a nesting bald eagle pair nearby. They forced the road project to be stopped and moved a few hundred yards away. The eagles relocated to the new location of the road construction.

One Saturday morning in Thibodaux, LA I was participating in a USPSA match. A bald eagle soared past against a cloudless sky. All of the squads paused shooting to watch the eagle. It was majestic.