I left my house this morning just before 10:30 to go on a solo shopping trip. Advance Auto Parts, Staples, Lowe's, Agway, BJ's, and finally some lunch. I got home and put everything away before composing this post.
I live a mile from the main road. As I got down near the intersection, I see my neighbor that lives down that end standing in the middle of the road, using a pair of binoculars, and looking up in the sky to the north. I pull up to him and ask what he's looking at. He has a big smile on his face, and he says, "Not one, but TWO Eagles!" I park my truck right there and hop out for a look myself.
If you have never seen American Bald Eagles in the wild, you are deprived of a fantastic sight. I have seen so many over the years within 25 miles of my house in many different settings. Most of the time they are in flight, and they are easy to spot. First, they are huge birds, with a wingspan of 6-8'. Their body and wings are dark brown while the head and tail is brilliant white. Very contrasting, especially against a bright blue sky. Other ways I've seen them is perched in trees, on the ground in someone's while yard returning to town with the ambulance, on the shore of a lake eating a fish, and flying from tree to tree down a river staying ahead of us in our kayaks. We got really close to the one on shore as we drifted along in our canoe. He flew off with his fish as we slid past and got behind him. Must have made him nervous.
For the most part, the two eagles today were soaring near each other but in independent circles. Then all of a sudden they had a brief aerial tussle but no loss of altitude. I read that is supposed to be a territorial thing for breeding season. However, after only a few seconds of battle, they began soaring together in formation about 10 feet apart. They continued to fly this way until I left a minute or two later. Of course, when I came home a few hours later, they were gone.
There are plenty of bodies of water and waterways in town, so I am sure I will be seeing them again as the weather warms up.
We have a local pair I see once in a blue moon. When I do, I wonder if the locals with small dogs realize the danger in the air.
ReplyDelete@Jess: I have an 85 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback. When he was a squirmy little puppy at the breeder's house near New Haven, they had a raptor problem. Their entire yard was covered in fine netting to protect the litters when they were out running around and playing. The smallest dog I have is a 17 pound miniature poodle boy that would try to fight an eagle in the yard. He and my rooster go at it separated by a fence.
DeleteWe have a pair right here in suburban Vancouverstan WA that come around once in a while, circling over head and landing in some really tall cotton wood trees a block away.
ReplyDeleteI used to see them all the time when I lived on the South West coast of Oregon growing up.
It gives you a thrill every time.