EAGLES!!!

[DuckLady]

We had a Bald Eagle soaring aound our place. I don't know if he was drooling at the thought of Duck Dinner, but he was an awesome beautiful sight. A bunch of neighbors were at the fence line watching him with binoculars. He soared lower and lower and then.....

A pair of crows chased him off. They dive bombed him and pecked until he left. You know, that was an amazing sight in itself. I was sure the eagle would have taken out the crows.

 

[ozark hen]

the first time I saw one in flight around here was when I took a photo of what I thought was a hawk way up high. When I looked at the photo and enlarged it on the computer I could see a white head...just see a white head! I was so excited. Since then I have seen one sitting in dead tree and by the time I ran back to get my camera it was gone! Hotwings, look them up and see if you don't have them in Michigan. I would guess that you do have them. Terrie, I saw crows chase a red tailed hawk away from here about a week ago. I, too, was surprised that the hawk didn't win out. maybe it already had attacked one of their young? I was grateful to the crows.

 

[Helen]

I lost three chickens this past week to some kind of hawk, a neighbor said it was a goshawk. One hen survived, perhaps because she was too fat to fit through the small hole in the fence covering their pen. She is pretty torn up, and I wonder if it is worth trying to nurse her. I only warn you that the birds of prey are very tricky at getting at the hens through pretty small places. The fishnet and chicken wire covering the pen has been reinforced!

 

[mom'sfolly]

I love eagles. I once saw a pair of golden eagles do their mating tumble/air dance over a lake. They would fly up, mate in midair, tumble, recover and do it again. It was amazing! While I was there a bald eagle flew too near the golden's lake and got chased off, pronto. I love to watch eagles and vultures soaring. It appears effortless and it looks like so much fun!

 

[GoodEgg]

Thanks, everyone.

They were definitely FAAARRRR overhead. And I know they prefer fish. I'm glad to hear that they are more wary of humans than hawks.

I *AM* glad the eagles are around (and I mean around *somewhere*) ... but as long as they don't eat my chickens or ducks, I'm kinda glad they are right here. We have a lot of woods around, and there is water nearby. I guess it's a good place for them. I hope it stays a good place and they don't start building out this way too much.

Anyway, they were amazing to watch. So effortless, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. I don't believe they were hunting for anything, or at least not hunting directly overhead.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I'm sure my dd will feel a lot better about her ducks when I show all this to her. She's here now to read it, so I gotta end my post.

Thanks!
trish

 

[Southern28Chick]

We have bald and golden eagles here. The only time I've seen them is at a lake. I was at Kerr Lake (pronouned Car) camping a couple of summers ago and I see this man down by the shore line bent over. Then I saw him jerking around and I thought he needed help. I run down there and get about 20 feet from the "man" when he turns and looks at me. It was the biggest bald eagle I've ever seen. Standing about 4 feet tall. He spread his wings and took off heading for the trees. His wings had to be 10 feet from tip to tip. I saw why he was jerking around the shore line...he had half eaten a 3 foot long catfish!!! He came back about an hour later to finish his breakfast.

We also have eagles nests on top of power line poles along hwy 85 at Falls Lake. Those nest are so big I could sleep in one just fine.

 

[Zenbirder]

I was thinking of this thread when I was on the phone with my SIL yesterday from the general Seattle area. Her co-worker had an eagle nest blown out of a tree in his yard a couple of weeks ago in a storm. There wer over 20 small dog collars in it.....

 

[texaschickmama]

Hey, Trish, if the bald eagles were juvies then they would look more like a buzzard simply because they don't get their white head and chest until they are about 2. Is there a body of water around you anywhere close? They will live around lakes or rivers anywhere that can supply them will the delicious fish they love. I know there is water around you, heck you are in Florida it's called the Atlantic and Gulf, duh,