[dataway]

I think it was Franklin that wanted to make Turkeys the National Bird ... he considered the Bald Eagle a scavenger and didn't want it to represent the country. Scavenger or not, they certainly look way better than a Turkey

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

The Columbus zoo has one, but I always think it would be so much nicer to let him fly free, than be in a large enclosure, with people filing by looking at him. I'm not a big fan of zoos that keep wild animals in captivity. I may be in the minority, but I'd much rather see a wild animal in their natural environment, than cooped up in a zoo.

It's very possible that the one in the Columbus zoo is there because of some injury that left him/her unable to survive in the wild.

I know that all the eagles at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN are "rescued" birds that wouldn't be alive today if they hadn't been adopted by the center.

[TAKerry]

Originally Posted by ta6point6

We have a lot of Bald eagles in northern CO as well. I actually had seen a couple golden eagles lock talons in a local field the other day. I guess that is some mating thing but man locking talons and plummeting to the ground just dont seem right.

We were on a horseback tour of Mt Diablo in CA quite a few years ago. The tour guide stopped dead in his tracks and pointed out a pair of condors conducting this activity. We watched for the minute our two as they plummeted then at the last minute broke away. The guide was making a big deal about how lucky we were to be able to see such a thing. I thought it was pretty neat but not being from Cali was not as impressed as he was. But I suppose he was correct with his excitement. He was right, I have never witnessed such an event since!!

[jhein]

That's a great photo. We have a fair number of bald eagles around here but I've never seen anything like that. Wife and I saw one take a rabbit in a field while we were driving down the road. Have also seen osprey take fish from lakes up in the cascades twice. Cool stuff.

[Darren 639]

Saw an osprey catch a small blue fish on the Connecticut river one day. Then in about two seconds this bald Eagle that was sitting in a nearby tree dive bombed the osprey’s blue fish. Done clean stole it from him 100feet in front of me. It was like National Geographic.

Was looking for my last picture of the eagle nest on Stevenson dam. But came across this red tail that has got caught in an illegal leg hold trap. I brought him to the auto bond society to help his recovery.

[stellar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQsFWjE-h98 one of two nests on live cam here in Pittsburgh. It is fun to watch them. The eggs are almost ready to start hatching. The first will probably will hatch in the next few days to weeks for all three. Fun to watch the little ones battle each other for a share of the food.

[Cliff R]

WOW! I was lucky enough to see a similar phenomenon once. We were on the James River a few miles West of Williamsburg and saw a large gathering of Eagles in some trees on the South bank. There were around 80 birds in that group. A few years before cell phones and sadly we didn't have a camera with us, but it was an incredible and rare thing to see........

[shawn e.]

When I was a kid we went to Ketchikan to visit my grandparents at a logging camp. My grandpa took me to the landfill one morning and there were hundreds of Bald Eagles.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

No shortage of them eagles. we ought have open season on Canadian geese and hawks.

Canadian geese I'll agree with. Those nasty things have fouled many ponds in this area.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Stuart, looks like Patoka State Recreational Area here in Indiana (just to the west of me). Every winter/early spring around 100 adult and juvenile bald eagles migrate through PSRA on their way back north. It is truly an awesome sight.

[vr1967]

Great photo. Here in SW Mississippi we will occaisionly see an eagle. I work down in the edge of Louisiana on the Mississippi and see a pair which I guess is nesting near where I work.

One day, i plan to get up to the midwest/upper Mississippi River and hopefully will get to see a sight like this