This male Bald Eagle is reflecting what many folks were doing / feeling right at that hour. He was crouching down and ready to get the heck out of there. This is the male of the pair I watched all spring and much of summer along the South Platte River. They have spread out now that their little one has left the nest but I hope to see them again in six months or so at the same spot.
Stare into my eyes!
Juvenile Bald Eagles may not be quite as handsome as they will be when they turn five and have their full, white heads, but that doesn’t mean they are bad looking. Indeed, they are gorgeous as well, even if they look quite different. As a benefit to wildlife watchers, the young ones are also far more tolerant of people, oftentimes viewing us bipedal lifeforms as a curiosity.
Such was the case with this juvenile in Adams County, Colorado this past winter. It was perched on a pole alongside a country road and me stopping right beside it didn’t bother it one bit. In fact, it sat there staring at me just as I was staring at it.
Have a great weekend and TGIF!
Male Bald Eagle on an attack vector
You don’t mess with this raptor or his offspring. That message was loud and clear when an unrelated Bald Eagle dared to enter its territory.
As I was watching him and his young one, he became quite agitated and made a huge ruckus. I could see he was looking in the distance behind me and I turned to see another eagle daring to approach. Dad did not find that acceptable and quickly launched and pursued the interloper, chasing it away before it got anywhere near the nest.
This image was taken back in June on one of my last visits to this site. The young eaglet has now fledged and the family is dispersed. With any luck, next spring the adults will return and have yet another successful mating season. Have a great weekend and TGIF!
Gear down, prepared for landing
A nice showcase of the huge wingspan of these gorgeous raptors. Having failed on its first fishing trip of the morning, this guy returned to one of his favorite perches and gave me a few nice approach shots.
Chow time!
That looks like an absolutely delicious breakfast, eh? 😉 This male Bald Eagle caught this good-sized fish from the adjacent lake and was kind enough to return to the same roost to devour its meal. Unfortunately for it, it only got it about half way eaten when it accidentally dropped the fish to the ground. At least it got part of a meal! Taken a couple of weeks ago in Boulder County, Colorado
Bald Eagle brings home a big breakfast
It is Freedom Friday and here’s a cool capture I recently took.
With their young one having fledged, this male and his mate have some free time and have returned to hanging out a lake in northern Colorado. When I stopped by a couple of weeks ago, I found him standing proudly in their favorite tree. After a time, he went out and attempted to fish but came back empty handed (or taloned as it were).
Undeterred, he tried again and was rewarded for his effort with a very nice sized catch. In this image, he is returning to the tree with his meal. Fish are certainly the Bald Eagle’s preferred meal. Here in Colorado though, water is sparse so you are just as likely to find them hunting waterfowl or prairie dogs.
Have a great weekend and TGIF!
Bald Eagle takes a bow
When you know you are the center of attention, why not show your appreciation by taking a bow? That almost seemed like that is what this regal eagle was doing although in truth it was just stretching.
In all the time I have spent with eagles, I have never seen one stretch this way. Owls commonly do this but this was for me the first time I have seen an eagle do it. Kind of fun.
Also notice its eye. Bald Eagles (and many other birds) have an inner eyelid called a nictitating membrane. This membrane wipes front to back every few seconds, cleaning the cornea. It is translucent and the eagle can actually see through it.
Bald Eagle landing sequence
Kind of a fun little series of images put in slideshow format of this gorgeous female Bald #Eagle when she came in for a landing one day back in April. It is hard to do it justice as they move so fast and Facebook limits how many images you can put in this to 10. Hope you enjoy your Freedom Friday show!
Is it 5:00 yet?
When the end of the workweek comes, it is normal to feel beat down and ready for a much-needed break. The look on this handsome guy’s face seems to reflect that. 😉
An athletic push off and launch
Looking much like a professional swimmer leaping off the side of the pool, this Bald Eagle launches itself into the air from its perch. Kind of a fun picture that showcases the power and size of these incredible raptors.
All of the little ones at the nest sites I visit have fledged and the families are now spreading out and becoming a bit more difficult to find. Come the fall though, the seasonal visitors will return and I am already anxiously awaiting the time.