[elrod-tom]

When I was 14 years old, I was at a ski racing camp out in Montana. I went on a nature hike one afternoon with a bunch of folks from the camp. One of our coaches lived out there, and knew the area well.

We were hiking up a trail when he pointed out into an open field at a bald eagle. I'd never seen one before, and to see it flying around was amazing. They are big, majestic birds...

"Take a good look, and remember this," he said, "because you'll very likely never see one again".

Fast forward almost 30 years. We're staying at the lakefront cabin of a good friend, just south of Charlevoix and north of Traverse City. We're driving up to the main road, I look out into the field, and what do I see but a bald eagle...actually, it was TWO bald eagles!! It was just like I remembered...and they are still just as majestic as they were all those many years ago.

It's apparently true that the bald eagle is making a comeback. I'm told there are a couple more pairs that live not far from this one. Pretty amazing when one considers that they were literally on the verge of extinction in my lifetime. Now I hear that they are actually considering taking them off the endangered species list.

To see one of these beautiful birds again in my lifetime (someplace other than a zoo, of course) is a real thrill. That this happened just a few miles from where I grew up is just stunning for me to consider. I still can't believe it happened.

 

[jbloudg20]

That is absolutley amazing. I wish I could be so lucky.

 

[apnk]

Come to Idaho, and you'll see em everywhere well the young ones that arent "bald" yet. There is also the "bald" eagles around, you cant go two weeks without seeing one.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apnk Come to Idaho, and you'll see em everywhere well the young ones that arent "bald" yet. There is also the "bald" eagles around, you cant go two weeks without seeing one.

Wow! This is even more amazing. It would be a treat for me, that's for sure. But at least I get to see iguanas on a regular basis!

 

[Senn20]

Yep, I've seen a few in Wisconsin as well. The DNR says we had 900 back in '91, and probably more now.

 

[apnk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Wow! This is even more amazing. It would be a treat for me, that's for sure. But at least I get to see iguanas on a regular basis!

You suck!

Do you eat them in soups and stuff like that?

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Wow! This is even more amazing. It would be a treat for me, that's for sure. But at least I get to see iguanas on a regular basis!

Marine iguanas?

-Ed

 

[Glod]

Congrats to the spot!

Bird watching is a new hobby of mine. Luckily I am living next door to a nice protected area. Not much of those areas here. The Netherlands = crowded.

I once saw a Great Egret. He was seriously lost

Usually, they hang around at the Black Sea, according to my books.

 

[KYTGuy]

Here in the Great Northwest, we see 'em pretty often, but it is NEVER ho-hum for me or my wife...

Neighbors just across the draw bulldozed a tree with a nest, "just to make their view better", and I turned them in, but they had so thoroughly destroyed/buried the nest (and I had no pictures of that particular nest in situ), that the Wildlife Agent just said "Oh Well", and left her card.

Coolest thing is to see how strong Eagles are - in Spring, they find bare limbs on the evergreen trees, and jump on them, snapping them off. Then they fly off with 6-10 feet of limb, 2-3 inches in diameter!!! They really have to work so hard, and they use their wings as fully extended as they can, in the biggest sweeps, and you can hear the "huff" of the wind vortexes off their feathers with each wingbeat, and they even kinda whistle or grunt each sweep. Pretty awesome. Their nests get refurbished higher and bigger each year (same breeding pairs) and some nests weigh over a ton!!

Their breeding courtships are fantastic to watch - they do it all morning, sometimes all day, flying up from different directions, Grappling, and falling hundreds of feet (a thousand?), releasing with just enough room to recover flight, and then up they go again...

We use our C-8 Celestron to watch the nests in our valley each year. Last year we had four visible pairs.

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom It's apparently true that the bald eagle is making a comeback. I'm told there are a couple more pairs that live not far from this one. Pretty amazing when one considers that they were literally on the verge of extinction in my lifetime. Now I hear that they are actually considering taking them off the endangered species list. To see one of these beautiful birds again in my lifetime (someplace other than a zoo, of course) is a real thrill. That this happened just a few miles from where I grew up is just stunning for me to consider. I still can't believe it happened.

Twenty odd years ago, we had nesting pairs of bald eagles on our hunting lease in northern Minnesota and they were the only ones in the area. In the last ten years, with the final vestiges of DDT damage in the past, the bald eagle populations are thriving across the Northwoods. I've always found a bond with the predatory birds, and it is thrilling to see the hawks, owls, falcons, and eagles make a comeback. Several time within the last several years I have watched these mighty birds devour their kills less than fifty feet away. Last year, we had flights of owls west of Duluth and my wife saw literally dozens in an hour's time. For the last decade, we have had redtail hawks and peregrine falcons working the neighborhood rodents and devouring their kills on my back fence (the spaniels love it; professional courtesy, you know, and perhaps a snack

). This close attachment with wild nature is in large part why I live here and spend at least a month in the woods each year.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood Marine iguanas? -Ed

i think marine iguanas only exist on the Galapagos. green iguanas are quite common around the caribbean islands and mexico. taste like chicken!

 

[apnk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VicAjax i think marine iguanas only exist on the Galapagos. green iguanas are quite common around the caribbean islands and mexico. taste like chicken!

Oh so you do eat them in soups then.

 

[JahJahBinks]

How about having one of these hairy blond for dinner:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science....ap/index.html

 

[raisin]

It is an amazing fact, that one of the largest congregations of Bald eagles can be seen one hour from Manhattan. In the winter, the upper Delaware river (at the intersection of NJ, Pa, and Ny) is one of the northernmost ice free rivers in the northeast. Bald eagles migrate south in the winter from Canada, and converge on this area. (including the Hudson river) Last time I was up there, I saw ~20-30 eagles in a 20 mile stretch of very scenic highway. Parked my car 100 feet from a pair perched on the riverbank, and observed them freely for almost an hour. Striking!
Check out:

http://www.eagleinstitute.org/

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senn20 Yep, I've seen a few in Wisconsin as well. The DNR says we had 900 back in '91, and probably more now.

In the early 80's I did a lot of bicycling in the UP and northern Wisconsin. I saw lots of nice bald eagles. It was especially impressive to ride down a road with thick tall trees on each side and then have an eagle approach and swoop over my head below the tree line!