Tag: bald eagle

Eagle

Happy Birthday America!

Photo of a bald eagle as it prepares to land.
Gear Down!

Happy 236th Birthday and counting. I remember the 200th celebration pretty well.  I wonder what America and this earth will be like in 2076?

A good argument can be made that July 2 should be the day we celebrate because that’s the day the Continental Congress actually voted to declared its independence from Great Britain.  We celebrate it today because this is the day the Congress approved the wording of the document which would be known as the Declaration of Independence.  Don’t assume it was signed that day.  Who signed when is in controversy.

If you’re interested in a summary of events surrounding the Declaration of Independence click here.

Eagle

Bald Eagle Anniversary

Photo of a bald eagle flying into the sun.
Sweet Success!

Each year on or about this day I post a photo of a bald eagle to recognize and celebrate the fact that five years ago today the Fish & Wildlife Service announced that the bald eagle in the lower 48 States had recovered enough to be removed from the list of threatened and endangered species.  We almost lost it due to DDT and other persistent pesticides.   Thanks to Rachel Carson, the Endangered Species Act and other factors, the story of the bald eagle in the lower 48 was a story of success.  The same can be said for other species like the osprey, which was also hurt by DDT.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.

Eagle

Bald Eagle with Fishing Line Caught in Talons; Homer, Alaska

Photo of bald eagle with fishing line caught in talons.
A Dangerous Situation

This immature bald eagle has monofilament fishing line caught in both of its feet.   The artificial bait (shrimp) is still attached to the line.  This is a recipe for disaster.  At some point the line is going to get snagged on a limb or other object and, unless the bird figures out how to remove it, the bird is going to die.  Unfortunately, fishing lines kill a lot of birds and other wildlife.

Eagle

Bald Eagle Grabs a Fish

Photo of a bald eagle grabbing a fish from the water.
A bald eagle grabs a fish from Kachemak Bay, Alaska.

About this time each year I think of the trips I used to make in March to photograph bald eagles around Homer, Alaska.   It was always a fantastic experience.  This photo was taken in Sadie Cove which is on the far side of Kachemak Bay from Homer.

Eagle

Independence Day and Our Nation’s Symbol

Photo of a bald eagle perched on a broken branch.
Bald Eagle on Snag

A bald eagle perches on a driftwood limb on the shore of Kachemak Bay, Alaska.

There was a nice article in our paper today about a man here in Marin County who collects all things relating to the bald eagle.  His name is Preston Cook.  In addition to collecting, Preston has given much time to helping the bald eagle.  Among his efforts were many years spent on the board of the American Bald Eagle Foundation.  You can see the story here.

Eagle

Bald Eagle Recovery Anniverary

Photo of a bald eagle soaring over Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A bald eagle soars over Kachemak Bay.

Today is the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s announcement that the bald eagle had recovered and would be removed from the list of Threatened and Endangered Species.  It had been listed since 1967, first as an endangered species, and later as a threatened species.  The main reason for its listing was the wide-spread use of DDT which had caused thinning of egg shells.

Owl

Another Great Horned Owl Waits For Darkness

A great horned owl waits for darkness.
Great Horned Owl, Point Reyes National Seashore

It’s mid-day and this adult great horned owl has hours to wait until darkness.  In summer their hunting hours are much shorter than in winter, although they are busiest just after sunset and just before sunrise regardless of season.   They prey on whatever is available.  Hans Peeters, author of Field Guide to Owls of California and the West, states (page 191) that they have been known to even prey on house cats, bald eagles and canada geese.  Bald eagles?  Bald eagles weigh about 10 pounds.  Great horned owls only weigh about three pounds.  I wonder what they’d take if they weighed as much as an eagle?