Bald Eagle Sighting

[DRH]

It's not unusual for us to see Bald Eagles in our area, but today one was perched near the top of a pine tree right next to our house. I was able to get a few photos before he flew off. He was a beauty.

[Pineedles]

All I could think of looking at these pictures was, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! FREE AND STRONG! Great pics Don!

[Lakesrider]

Great pics. Awesome bird, and great symbol for our Country, because I would not want to be on the receiving end of that beak.

[sky_nh]

Those are amazing photos of an impressive bird. Thanks.

[fatlazyless]

About five winters ago, I saw three eagles, that appeared to be a daddy eagle, a mommy eagle, and a junior eagle, and all three landed together on the lake ice as a threesome and all three flew in and easily intimidated three black crows to abandon pecking away at a big, dead grey squirrel out on the lake ice, close to shore.

What happened next? Well, I do declare right here and right now that what that big eagle did cost it my respect.

No, the big eagle did not share the dead squirrel with his two fellow and probably family member eagles. The big eagle flys off while holding the dead squirrel in its' talons to an isolated watery section of ice, about 500 yards off-shore, and sets about eating that squirrel all alone on the ice without sharing any piece of it with his family eagles. It was making some aggresive type moves before flying off with its' meal to let them know the grey squirrel was just for himself.

Not a nice eagle! What a piggy, non-sharing eagle....I tells ya! And, the squirrel was a biggie, maybe 2 or 3lbs, caught in the Hav-a-heart trap, and drowned, and then tossed fresh and not yet frozen out onto the ice

[Yosemite Sam]

Wow! Wow! Wow! and Wow!!!!

The clarity of the Eagle, pine tree, and blue sky is BEAUTIFUL.

You are definitly a professional photographer.

I plan on printing them out and making a frame to put them in.

[DRH]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

Wow! Wow! Wow! and Wow!!!!

The clarity of the Eagle, pine tree, and blue sky is BEAUTIFUL.

You are definitly a professional photographer.

I plan on printing them out and making a frame to put them in.

The photos I posted were resized to 600 pixels wide. I have larger, higher resolution versions of them that I would be glad to send you for purposes of printing.

Send me a PM or email me through this site, providing your email address, and I'll be glad to send you the higher resolution versions.

[NHskier]

Great shots - very sharp!

Can you give us some details of the shot itself, like how far away was the eagle, photo gear used?

thanks in advance!

[Yosemite Sam]

Originally Posted by DRH

The photos I posted were resized to 600 pixels wide. I have larger, higher resolution versions of them that I would be glad to send you for purposes of printing.

Send me a PM or email me through this site, providing your email address, and I'll be glad to send you the higher resolution versions.

An email is on it's way.

Thank you very much!

[DRH]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

An email is on it's way.

Thank you very much!

Photos are on their way, Sam.

[DRH]

Originally Posted by NHskier

Great shots - very sharp!

Can you give us some details of the shot itself, like how far away was the eagle, photo gear used?

thanks in advance!

The eagle was at the top of a pine tree next to our house, probably about 75 feet high. The camera is a Sony A-100 DSLR with an 18-200mm zoom lens. I had the lens fully zoomed out for the eagle shots. Fortunately the sun was behind me when I took the shots, although the eagle itself was facing away from me. I had to wait until he turned his head before I snapped the photos.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

About five winters ago, I saw three eagles, that appeared to be a daddy eagle, a mommy eagle, and a junior eagle, and all three landed together on the lake ice as a threesome and all three flew in and easily intimidated three black crows to abandon pecking away at a big, dead grey squirrel out on the lake ice, close to shore.

What happened next? Well, I do declare right here and right now that what that big eagle did cost it my respect.

No, the big eagle did not share the dead squirrel with his two fellow and probably family member eagles. The big eagle flys off while holding the dead squirrel in its' talons to an isolated watery section of ice, about 500 yards off-shore, and sets about eating that squirrel all alone on the ice without sharing any piece of it with his family eagles. It was making some aggresive type moves before flying off with its' meal to let them know the grey squirrel was just for himself.

Not a nice eagle! What a piggy, non-sharing eagle....I tells ya! And, the squirrel was a biggie, maybe 2 or 3lbs, caught in the Hav-a-heart trap, and drowned, and then tossed fresh and not yet frozen out onto the ice

Crows are very good at sharing with one another. If there is food around they call the entire gang in to enjoy the feast!

[bilproject]

Great pictures! Can't believe how blue the sky was that day. This summer while trolling one morning near Governors an Eagle flew over and my buddy said "hey there's a Bald Eagle". About the time the three of us focused on the eagle a Sea Gull that had been floating on the surface took off and proceeded to chase the Eagle. The chase went on for 10 minutes until the Eagle was run off. By this time, you can imagine the comments, we all decided that if the Eagle was not going to stand up for itself then we declare the "Seagle" the new national bird!

[Lin]

aaawesomely beautiful shots, thanks so much for sharing with us.

[trfour]

Originally Posted by DRH

It's not unusual for us to see Bald Eagles in our area, but today one was perched near the top of a pine tree right next to our house. I was able to get a few photos before he flew off. He was a beauty.

Awesome photos DRH!!
I do remember my very first Bald Eagle sighting here that I posted sometime back that even our webmaster gave me grief over by another great Photog and a dear friend of mine. Through his photo that he took at Winnisquam.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...php?photo=1763

New scan;

[SteveA]

What great shots... Thanks for sharing.

I agree w/ Pineneedles... made me think USA!

[Flylady]

Late spring/early summer there was a thread on an eaglet on one of the islands. Did anyone follow the situation to see if it was able to survive and thrive?

[Jonas Pilot]

... image on July 26th on the island where the nest fell down.

[Grant]

The young Eagle whose nest took a tumble early in the summer made it on the ground...and later moved up into the trees on the same island. I saw him/her as late as the end of August up there. It might've been timing, but I didn't see the parents around in either August or September.

The question now is whether the nesting pair will return to that spot. They tend to return to the same nests and trees, but who knows with the nest down (and the amount of peeper traffic on a given summer weekend day).

The photo is of the youngster in question, flying from one tree top to another in late August.

[Flylady]

Thanks for the updates. Let's hope that it has made it to an independent stage....and thank you to those who quietly monitored the progress without bringing undue attention to the situation.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

All I could think of looking at these pictures was, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! FREE AND STRONG! Great pics Don!

I agree!

As an admirer of bird behavior—birds in general—and a lifelong student of Flight, I find the last photo fascinating:



1) Curved at the Eagle's left wingtip, you can see what are called the "primary feathers":

Each primary feather (of a dozen or so, per wing) is shaped in cross-section like an airplane's wing. If just one of those is lost, there is a serious loss in "lift" for the bird—and usually at the feather's root—some loss of blood!

2) Turbulence and the wing:

If you have leaned over the porch to shake out a carpet "runner", you can see a similar effect when an Eagle's wing hits turbulence: the "ripple" caused by turbulence will carry across the wing in the exact-same way.

Just remarkable!

3) At the right wing, you can see a few feathers lifted.

Although I haven't researched it as yet, I'm fairly certain that those few feathers correspond to a "stall-warning" for light aircraft.

(And that the bird can sense a "stall" through those feathers).

Those lifted feathers are most easily seen in our largest Winnipesaukee birds—like the Great Blue Heron—just as one alights after a deliberate "stall" near the shoreline.

4) This photo most likely has captured the wing in "soar" mode.

The dead-straight-across appearance means that this bird (plus the Eastern Golden Eagle) can be identified from two miles away—with the unaided eye!

(Though not intended to be a "plug" for kayaking, all the above are best seen from such slow-moving watercraft, or a watercraft not moving at all—like too-often—my sailboat).

[jmen24]

APS, good information, thank you.

I to agree that the closest we have ever come to eagles was from our canoe, moving very slowly without removing the paddle from the water. Most birds we see are on our annual trip in Northern Maine along the Canadian Border, lots of Osprey as well up there.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

DRH, your photographs are absolutely amazing!!! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Thought I would include some great eagle pictures from the PhotoPost Gallery.
We have some very lucky and talented members!

From the sonj Gallery


From the Digital Magic Gallery The feather detail is fantastic!


From the Sunset Bob Gallery I just love the adult and baby!


From the Jonas Pilot Gallery An immature bald eagle

The Eagle From the Skipper of the Sea Que Gallery Sorry I couldn't resist! From ForumFest V

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

About five winters ago, I saw three eagles, that appeared to be a daddy eagle, a mommy eagle, and a junior eagle, and all three landed together on the lake ice as a threesome and all three flew in and easily intimidated three black crows to abandon pecking away at a big, dead grey squirrel out on the lake ice, close to shore.

What happened next? Well, I do declare right here and right now that what that big eagle did cost it my respect.

No, the big eagle did not share the dead squirrel with his two fellow and probably family member eagles. The big eagle flys off while holding the dead squirrel in its' talons to an isolated watery section of ice, about 500 yards off-shore, and sets about eating that squirrel all alone on the ice without sharing any piece of it with his family eagles. It was making some aggresive type moves before flying off with its' meal to let them know the grey squirrel was just for himself.

Not a nice eagle! What a piggy, non-sharing eagle....I tells ya! And, the squirrel was a biggie, maybe 2 or 3lbs, caught in the Hav-a-heart trap, and drowned, and then tossed fresh and not yet frozen out onto the ice

Should we respect the person that bestowed an awful death on the poor squirrel by drowning it? Why not relocate it?

2 or 3 pounds? Isn't squirrel good eats?

[fatlazyless]

Large grey squirrels are a big nuisance and there are way too many what with the three large oak trees and their acorns. The squirrels try to invade the fiberglass insulation above the crawl space and set up a nest for the cold months.

Sorry Rattlesnake Gal, but squirrels are very very bad, and can do a lot of damage to a cottage so there's always a loaded Hav-a-heart trap trying to trap one more squirrel with peanut butter..........kerchunk.......whoopsie(!)

It's pretty common for the crows to arrive on the scene....but an eagle was kind of special. What a treat for the eagle....just wish it had wanted to share with its' buddy eagles...

[eillac@dow]

All of the photos are amazing. They are so clear. Just beautiful. As Pineedles said "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! FREE AND STRONG"

Thank you.
Eillac@dow

[Yosemite Sam]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

Should we respect the person that bestowed an awful death on the poor squirrel by drowning it? Why not relocate it?

2 or 3 pounds? Isn't squirrel good eats?

Nothing like good old Squirrel Stew!!!! I thought I would make the image as large as possible so you can take a good look at it.

[eillac@dow]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

Nothing like good old Squirrel Stew!!!! I thought I would make the image as large as possible so you can take a good look at it.

Yosemite....that is Gross! Point Made!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Large grey squirrels are a big nuisance and there are way too many what with the three large oak trees and their acorns. The squirrels try to invade the fiberglass insulation above the crawl space and set up a nest for the cold months.

Sorry Rattlesnake Gal, but squirrels are very very bad, and can do a lot of damage to a cottage so there's always a loaded Hav-a-heart trap trying to trap one more squirrel with peanut butter..........kerchunk.......whoopsie(!)

It's pretty common for the crows to arrive on the scene....but an eagle was kind of special. What a treat for the eagle....just wish it had wanted to share with its' buddy eagles...

I agree that squirrels are a nuisance. Drowning just seems like it would be painful. On the upside, there isn't a bb, pellet or bullet for the scavengers to eat.

Glad to see you were joking about losing respect for the eagle. They do what come naturally. I sure hope they leave my 16.5 dog alone! He is too big for them, right?

It really is wonderful to see so many eagles around the lake. They may prove to be detrimental to the loon population. (Scroll down to the eagles nest photo.)

This stew looks a bit more appetizing.

[upthesaukee]

While driving on Route 11 on Tues about mid afternoon, as I was going around the curve eastbound by the Belknap Motel, heading towards Alton, I saw a large bird crossing above the road. It was just a quick glance out the windshield, but looking out the driver side window, it clearly was a bald eagle, the first I've seen in several years. As I scrambled to get my phone out, hit the camera button, find the eagle in screen and then take a picture, I ended up driving up through the woods to Kimball's Castle . Only kidding on the last part. I do wish I had been down at Lincoln Park on Lakeshore drive with my camera at the ready, right there on the point, because someone there with camera in hand could have got one heck of a shot. The eagle was probably not over 20 yards over the tops of the trees, and appeared to be heading to the lake. Great sight.

[fatlazyless]

After thinking on how an eagle eats a squirrel it seems that it is probably not edible when frozen. With its' sharp beak and sharp talons, an eagle can tear into a dead squirrel, mouse, chipmonk; ripping pieces off the body small enough to swallow.

When the body is frozen, then the eagle's beak and talons most likely cannot tear it apart. Being frozen makes it too hard for the beak and talons to cut it.

As you probably know, an ice covered sidewalk is much more difficult to chop at 10 degrees, than at 30 degrees. Ice continues to get noticably harder as it gets colder, from 30 to 10 degrees. So, the same hardness applies to a dead mammal's body. The dead meat is too cold to be cut.

On Route 93, it's pretty common to see crows scavenging roadkill. Maybe the blacktop keeps the dead body from freezing so fast?

You know, I noticed a bald eagle taking a culinary arts course at Laconia Adult Ed; how to prepare squirrel stew........yummy & hot for an eagle!

Life must be tough for an eagle in the winter. A smart eagle will fly south to Miami Beach and flap over South Beach and hunt for wild thongs.

[Whimsey]

Here's a nifty idea for those pesky squirrels, FLL.

http://www.buzznet.com/www/search/vi...rel-trebuchet/

[trfour]

Quote " After thinking on how an eagle eats a squirrel it seems that it is probably not edible when frozen. With its' sharp beak and sharp talons, an eagle can tear into a dead squirrel, mouse, chipmonk; ripping pieces off the body small enough to swallow."


Last time I checked, Bald Eagles are not related to the vulture family and the last choice on their menu would be, ( frozen food )... However, they are and have survived for many thousands of years here through the teachings of Mother Nature...
I would ask you. How many frozen eagle carcasses have you witnessed, and been a nearby roadkill scene?... If there ever was a bird equipped to tear apart frozen, Eagles are!
Could it be that you may be confusing the Eagle, with the crow?

PS, Disclaimer; I do not know FLL, and am not a ( rocket ) bird scientist.

[ApS]

Eagles will take most anything as food: From a distance, one way to distinguish which bird has just taken a fish is to see the method by which the fish is caught. One large raptor that is easily mistaken for an eagle is the Osprey.

An Osprey will catch a fish beneath the surface, leave a large spray, get soaked, and will shake itself off as it flies off afterwards. (And "manually" turn the fish head-first into the air stream of flight).

A Bald Eagle will normally stay dry and will "snatch" it off the surface. It is rare that you will see an eagle with a live fish. (Though I have seen a Bald Eagle pulled under the surface of the water! )

After a meal, an Osprey will fly down to the surface and drag its feet through the water, giving their talons a "rinse". I haven't seen this behavior with the Bald Eagle.

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

"...Should we respect the person that bestowed an awful death on the poor squirrel by drowning it...?"

What part of "Hav-a-Hart" doesn't FLL understand?

Being heavier, gray squirrels will "trip" the trap easier, but I find that it is red squirrels that are more destructive to cottages. (But "reds" take far more patience to trap in a "Hav-a-Hart" trap).

The eye of a Bald Eagle (in many hawks) has a sharp ridge over the eye that makes it look very serious. This photo of a Bald Eagle was accompanied by a phrase saying:

"I don't like what I'm seeing".

Gray Squirrels are more wary than other squirrels although they can be bribed to perch on an ankle.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

I agree that squirrels are a nuisance. Drowning just seems like it would be painful. On the upside, there isn't a bb, pellet or bullet for the scavengers to eat.

Glad to see you were joking about losing respect for the eagle. They do what come naturally. I sure hope they leave my 16.5 dog alone! He is too big for them, right?

It really is wonderful to see so many eagles around the lake. They may prove to be detrimental to the loon population. (Scroll down to the eagles nest photo.)

This stew looks a bit more appetizing.

I always worry about that too, RG. Especially since my little one is only 5 lbs. When I see the eagle around, I grab him.