A Bald Eagle's Lunch

Wildlife viewing opportunities along the Missouri can be spectacular. There are eagles, bald and golden, prairie falcons, mule deer, mergansers, nighthawks, coyotes, soft-shelled turtles, beaver, muskrat...we saw them all.

A pretty Brewer's blackbird poses for its portrait.

Here's a pair of golden eagles on a distant but most picturesque promontory. Oh how I wanted to get closer.

With Phoebe steering, we drew near a bald eagle who was having a fish dinner on a log.

It's a subadult bird, with a "dirty" head, not quite in full adult plumage. It could be anywhere from two to four years old.

Note that it's got the fish in its bill on takeoff.

I am loving this, trying hard to keep my camera steady as I fire shot after shot. Should have had it on motordrive, but ah well.

And then he did it--transferred the fish from bill to talons, in flight! Woweee!


As this publishes, they'll be finishing up the Big Sit in our tower at home. I'll be over in the Dayton area, having booked a presentation for the Bruckner Nature Center on the day of the Big Sit. D'oh! Never thought the Sit would fall on October 11! That's what happens when you book a year in advance...things slip your mind. But I'll have been there from dawn to noon, when I have to take off. And I'll have packed in as much fun as I could. Hope you've had a fun weekend, too, wherever you're Sitting.