[Rhodes22-list] Bald Eagles!

[Rummy]

Roger,
When we lived in Wisconsin, we used to see Eagles feeding on fish below
the dams along the Wisconsin River. I guess they were fishing in the
turbulent waters where the fish were less aware of their presence.

Rummy

-----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
>
>

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