[Rhodes22-list] Bald Eagles!

Kroposki kroposki@innova.net
Wed, 5 Feb 2003 09:46:00 -0500


Roger,
      I sure wish the eagles would develop a taste for Canadian Geese.
On the east coast Canadian Geese have quit migrating and taken up
permanent residence.  And do they make a mess.
                         Ed K


-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces@rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces@rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Roger Pihlaja
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 9:22 AM
To: paul@mi.chtechnology.com; The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Bald Eagles!

Paul,

Including yesterday, I've only seen bald eagles feeding in the wild
twice.
The other time was in the summer of 1998 on Garden Island out in the
middle
of northern Lake Michigan.  We were hiking along the beach, crested a
sand
dune, & there was this immature bald eagle (didn't have a completely
white
head yet), right at the water's edge, feeding on a double-crested
cormorant.
>From the blood on the ground & on the eagle, the kill was obviously
quite
fresh.  Apparently, this eagle had a taste for cormorants because there
were
several shredded carcasses along the beach within a 1/4 mile of that
spot.
The eagle looked & sounded highly annoyed when we interupted its meal
(gave
us the big raptor evil eye & scrack!), but it flew off as soon as it saw
us.

My North American Wildlife Field Guide says bald eagles eat carrion,
waterfowl, & especially fish.  The bird absolutely looks & acts like a
perfect killing machine.  Those ducks yesterday never had a chance.
Each
eagle simply selected one, harvested it, & flew away with it.  But, I
suppose if there's a dead body available that one doesn't have to expend
energy to chase down; then, why not go for the easy meal?

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Grandholm" <paul@mi.chtechnology.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 8:35 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Bald Eagles!


> Roger,
>
>      Very interesting message.  Thanks for sharing.  Carol & I took an
> Alaska cruise a couple of years ago where there is a plethora of bald
> eagles.  When we were in Ketchikan we visited a sanctuary where they
take
> in injured eagles and nurse them back to health.  There we were told
that
> bald eagles are actually scavengers and avoid hunting live prey if
> possible.  Now I'm confused.  Do you have any thoughts on this?
>
> Paul
> >
> >Roger,
> >
> >Eagles are pretty amazing creatures. We have quite a few of them
around
> >here, so we get to watch them in action quite regularly. It really
sucks
to
> >be the duck, or whatever they've decided is for lunch though. Their
aim
is
> >pretty deadly. Many times we have watched eagles swoop down and pluck
fish
> >right out of the water and never get more than their feet wet. It's
good
to
> >see they're coming back after a close call with extinction.
> >
> >Rik
> >
> >
> >At 04:36 PM 2/4/2003 -0500, you wrote:
> >>Hi Everybody,
> >>
> >>I was sitting here at my computer working on some internet job
searches
> >>when I looked out my window just in time to see a mature male bald
eagle
> >>land in the tree right above my dock!  I couldn't believe my eyes.
I've
> >>lived on Sanford Lake since 1977 & have never seen a bald eagle here
until
> >>now.  I jumped up to go get my 35 mm camera.  I got back just in
time to
> >>see a female bald eagle join this male (a nesting pair perhaps?!?).
The
> >>female eagle didn't land in the tree.  Instead, she began diving on
a
> >>flock of about 12 bufflehead ducks, which were in the water feeding
on
the
> >>sandbar about 100 yards off our beach.  The male eagle joined her &
you
> >>should have seen the ducks scatter in all directions!  My 35 mm
camera
> >>takes several seconds to boot up from a cold start.  By the time the
> >>camera was ready to shoot, the action had moved off down the lake
out of
> >>range.  I went out on our deck with my binoculars & saw both eagles
snare
> >>ducks in their talons in mid flight!  They both flew off with a duck
in
> >>their talons in same southerly direction down the lake!  It was
totally
cool.
> >>
> >>Roger Pihlaja
> >>S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
> >>_________________________________________________
> >>Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >
> >_________________________________________________
> >Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
>
> ========================
> Paul Grandholm
> C&H Technology
> GrandPower Components Div.
> ========================
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>

_________________________________________________
Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list