Eagles

[lilranch2001]

Well, we've got plenty of roadkill, don't we!

This time of year, it's pretty common to see the deer ribs sticking up in the bare fields near the roads. I'd guess any deer killed near a river might now get a bald visitor.

yep, way to much road kill!

What was weird about where I saw the eagles, is that the Little River in Huntington County is over a mile away from where I saw them.
I guess a mile isnt very far for a soaring eagle, with their sharp eyes tho......

 

[MossRoad]

yep, way to much road kill!

What was weird about where I saw the eagles, is that the Little River in Huntington County is over a mile away from where I saw them.
I guess a mile isnt very far for a souring eagle, with their sharp eyes tho......

Looking at a map of that county, it's hard to be less than a mile from water. The eagles up here at St. Patrick's County Park have their nest about 1/4 mile inland from the river. I think while they seem to like fish, they'll eat about anything.

 

[MossRoad]

Ha! Here's a humorous article on the food choices of Bald Eagles.

Will a Bald Eagle Eat Your Outdoor Cat? | Audubon

 

[lilranch2001]

Most of the small streams you may be seeing on a map are more of drainage ditches that do not support any fish, the closest water that does would be Little River and the Wabash 4-5 miles south

 

[lilranch2001]

I would guess the extent of their current hunger influences their diet a lot as well

 

[MossRoad]

Most of the small streams you may be seeing on a map are more of drainage ditches that do not support any fish, the closest water that does would be Little River and the Wabash 4-5 miles south

A couple years ago I was walking our drainage ditch which is about 4' wide normally. There was a sucker laying on a mud flat flopping around on it's back. I walked over to it to flip it back into the water, and when I turned it over, it's back was full of talon holes. Wow! Something grabbed it out of the ditch and dropped it. The bald eagles are about 3-4 miles south of us, and there are 3 pairs of osprey's there as well. So I guess they roam anywhere there's a potential meal.

 

[MossRoad]

I would guess the extent of their current hunger influences their diet a lot as well

That sounds like me. :laughing:

 

[lman]

I recently saw a Red Tailed Hawk eating on a road kill deer. I had never seen that before.

 

[EddieWalker]

That's really cool. Around here, the vultures clean up everything in a few days. We get Bald Eagles here during winter, where they have their babies. Usually it's around one of the bigger lakes. Sometimes they build their nests where people can see them from a road and it becomes big news, which leads to big crowds and the police having to be out there to keep the roads clear. I've seen them a few times, but never anywhere near where I live.

 

[deserteagle71]

Ha! Here's a humorous article on the food choices of Bald Eagles.

Cow placenta is meal of choice in western Nevada this time of year. Huge crowds of tourists head to the Carson Valley when the bald eagles come to dine...

 

[ovrszd]

Great pictures!

I didn't realize Eagles would feed on dead spoils like buzzards.

I say this with respect. Eagles are vultures. Much less energy expended feeding on dead spoils than chasing something down and killing it.

 

[ovrszd]

I would guess the extent of their current hunger influences their diet a lot as well

Opportunists!!!

 

[ovrszd]

I recently saw a Red Tailed Hawk eating on a road kill deer. I had never seen that before.

Again, Opportunists.

 

[Hay Dude]

Had an amazing scene play out while I was cutting a hay field I wasnt exactly thrilled to see, involving a bald eagle.
We have several Bald Eagles here. They love rivers and a river runs through the heart of my town.
One of my hay fields is next to said river.
I was cutting hay in late May. Sadly, I hit a fawn. It died immediately. As I continued to open up the field, the doe came out to the field to inspect the carnage.
Then an eagle approached, more than happy for some prepared venison. The doe would charge at the eagle as it landed near the carcass. This scene played out for a few hours until nightfall. They literally battled for the fawns carcass.
Haunts me to this day. One of the downsides of farming.

 

[TractorGuy]

I use to throw dead shiners out to a couple of eagles on Lake Miccosukee. They became accustomed to the free meal and would circle my boat every time I went there.

I saw an exceptional buzzard dragging a rabbit off the highway once.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[robstaples]

Interesting about the sizes. While juvenile bald eagles are larger in size than adults, it's because their feathers are longer than adults. They weigh considerably less than the adults. Also, adult female bald eagles are about 1/3 larger than adult male bald eagles.

Since we've been seeing more and more of them around here in the past decade, I've been reading up on them.

I am lucky to have a nest in my front yard and see them most every day, depending on season. This is the sixth year for the pair we have named Marge and Fred, after my parents. I installed ptz cameras and towers to get a better view. Marge on the left is bigger than Fred. Fred has a band on his right talon.

 

[oosik]

You have a really great setup, robstaples. Do you ever get a chance for pictures of the young. Fred is a lot more suspicious/curious than Marge.

I have a single pair of Canadian geese that nest on my lake every year. It can not be the same pair. This has been going on for over 35 years. Just one pair and they actively drive all others off.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Great pictures!

I didn't realize Eagles would feed on dead spoils like buzzards.

Speaking of buzzards......These guys keep following me around, every morning on my walk.

I wonder if they know something I don't?

 

[MossRoad]

I am lucky to have a nest in my front yard and see them most every day, depending on season. This is the sixth year for the pair we have named Marge and Fred, after my parents. I installed ptz cameras and towers to get a better view. Marge on the left is bigger than Fred. Fred has a band on his right talon.View attachment 683697View attachment 683698

Nice pictures! :thumbsup: