On my drive up to our log cabin on Friday, I was really sad to see a dead Bald Eagle crumbled on the side of the Interstate. He must have been hit by a car. I called our local DNR (Department of Natural Resources) to report my finding as they are federally protected birds and you are suppose to contact them if you see one in trouble or dead. The rest of the day my heart just hung heavy.
The next morning I was looking out from our deck and could see a "muddy bird" on a little island that's on our lake. I was so happy when I pulled my camera out and realized it was a juvenile Bald Eagle. I felt exhilarated and reborn. It was going to be a great day.
Eagles get their notorious white feathered head and beautiful yellow beak when they are 3-4 years old.
27 comments:
So sad about the eagle along the highway, but it is so awesome you've found a young one! I wonder if there is a nest around there somewhere with new eagles this year!?!?!
woo hoo - you got a great shot!!
Oh no that is so sad about the eagle.
We have a lot of eagles around here too but I never gotten a picture of one.
Really, that would put a damper on my day too. I always feel so deeply for the injured/killed wildlife. Usually it is OUR fault.
Glad to see a new baby though....the circle of life!
I'm sorry the poor thing was dead..I get sad at all gods creatures when I see them dead, except for possums..they are to ugly!
The baby eagle does give new hope and excitement dosnt it?
The circle of life! i'm glad you saw the juvenile so that it eased the sadness over the one hit by the car.
What a beautiful photo of the young eagle! Here in Western PA the Eagles are making a grand comeback, we see them along the Allegheny and Tionesta rivers and recently have spotted them closer to home.
That would have broken my heart, too! Aren't they the most majestic creatures? So glad you were able to capture one with your camera!
I will never forget our winter trip to Yellowstone. It was Feb. We snowmobiled in from the north entrance, and out of the blue the guide pulled over. Now mind you there were a gazillion buffalo on the same road with us and I was just a little leary - but did what she said. She took us to the side of the road and we walked a bit. We were in the part of the park that burned to oblivion in 1988. It was all regrown, the trees now being about 15 to 18' tall. That in and of itself was amazing, but she pointed and said "watch". And there in the sky, landing on top of a distant tree came a soaring bird. Yup, a Bald Eagle. It was breathtaking! It flew right to it's nest (which was really big!) which was in the very tiptop of a burned tree.
It was an awesome experience. I am so glad we had a guide that took the time to show us the eagles and the swans. It was the experience of a lifetime.
Great post! You always make me smile!
Have a great day! Karen
Thanks so much for your comment about my recipes. For some reason I'm thinking "food" all the time lately. Could it be my diet☺ As with anything good in life...it's better when it's shared and who better to share it with than friends...
that just about broke my heart... thanks for healing it with new life :) i'm glad that you had this refreshing end to your day!
It is just amazing what you see everyday.
denise
How awesome to see one right on your own lake. Maybe he'll stick around. Did you see the Loons again this past weekend?
What a sweet little bird. I hope he stays in your area and away from Charli lOL Any dog news yet?
Wow Shelley,
It must have been so sad to see the eagle along the side of the road and totally awesome to see a young one outside your cabin on the lake.
I have never seen a bald eagle in real life before. I love the picture you shot of the young one.
Great picture. The first thing I thought of when you said you saw a dead eagle, was how would the Indian tribe that lived there original have handled that. I am sure there was probably some ceremony they used....or maybe they just used the feathers. Not sure (o:
Thanks for commenting on my blog!!! It means a lot to me!!! And I did not know that Siamese cats are supposed to be smart.
Love, Madison
What a great photo, Shelley! Sad about the dead eagle on the highway, but I guess your article illustrates the whole cycle of life.
On my river here, we've spotted a small number of eagles the past few years. They're making a come back here, but very slowly. We likewise report our sightings to our local DEP.
Cindy - I believe this juvenile is from a nesting pair on a neighboring lake. I hope he chooses to nest on MY lake! :)
Michele - thank you - I wish that brush wouldn't have been in the way, it would've been a better shot!
Wendy - I actually had tears in my eyes as soon as I saw it...I just admire them so much!
Busy Bee - I'm the person who grieved for a couple weeks over a chipmunk that my neighbor's cat killed in my yard. Yep, I'm hopeless!
Dawnie - I certainly felt seeing that juvenile was a good sign!
Cedar - you are definitely right - it was the circle of life. I only wish the eagle had died of natural causes as opposed to being hit by a car.
Debbie - nice to hear about eagles making a comeback in your area!!
April - I agree -they are majestic!
karen - what a wonderful moment! Thanks for sharing! Yellowstone is on my list to visit...
Mimi - I love picking up new recipes from my bloggy friends!
dawn - I always need a happy ending! :-)
Denise - it often feels like a miracle...
jessica - I hope he sticks around! The loons were too far away for me to photograph. I'm going to try again next week. By the way - I did try waving a white shirt a couple weeks ago (per your suggestion) and I attracted a couple swans - LOL!!!!
Charli - I hope he stays too. Still waiting to hear from the breeder on her next litter - she thinks August! Keep your paws crossed for me!
Mom2 - I was so incredibly sad - thank goodness I saw the juvenile. They are still amazing birds to watch.
Grammy - it's interesting that you mentioned that. It had crossed my mind that this eagle needed a proper burial - hopefully the DNR does this.
Madison - thank you for coming by!! And yes, according to my cat book - siamese cats are very smart and known to be more "talkative" than most cats! :-)
John - I hope the eagles will thrive in your area!
It must be wonderful to live where you can see eagles!
Just wanted to let you know that was my daughter with my son in that picture. Believe me I don't look that young!
Hugs,
Cathie
Frequent reader, occasional commenter.
You might be real interested to see a camera over a bald eagle nest in our town. Three eaglets were hatched in March.
The parents obstinately built their nest in spite of an odd cone placed there by our state roads department. In the opinion of CalTrans, it was too near an ongoing bridge construction project and they felt the eagles would be safer if prodded to squat elsewhere.
The eagles disagreed and are now local heroes.
It is always so sad to see an animal dead alongside the highway. We see a lot of buzzards here who get hit by trucks and cars. I don't think we have Eagles here in this area.
Great shot of the youngster!
:))
Greetings from Sweden!
After seeing this picture I realize I see juvenile eagles frequently and did not know. We have many, many Bald Eagles around here . They are magnificent.
So, you were rewarded for your compassion.......great photo!
Nature is great sometimes ! So bald eagles are not really bald ?
How wonderful!
The circle of life in nature.
I haven't seen an eagle that age to see the difference from an adult bird.
Thanks!
Jered - thanks for that link!!
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