On a quiet road in the Van delivering "meals on wheels", from half a mile away I can see the big bird squarely in the road's middle feasting on something dead there. There are a LOT of Turkey Vultures in our area and this bird is the right size for that.
But as I get closer... "Is that an Eagle?"
I hope so. We're seeing more and more of 'em in our area. But sightings are still infrequent enough that seeing one is a minor thrill.
Sure enough... White head and tail, he/she is pecking at some unidentifiable red mass. Buzzards will spook and fly away from their dinner temporarily here when you approach within about 1/8th mile. This bird persisted eating until I was MUCH closer, making me fear for other traffic that might pass by.
On my return trip across the same path, both bird and its meal were nowhere to be seen.
He/she apparently took her meal "To Go"!
When they swoop down on the fly and catch a fish, they are majestic.
But I think Ben Franklin was correct-
Eating dead possum in the middle of the road?
Not so much.
4 comments:
And sometimes, they grab something bigger than they can lift, which gets interesting! In Alaska, they are everywhere...
Yeah, that's unseemly.
Bald eagle = Alaskan Sea Gull.
I have seen eagles steal fish from ospreys, they can really fly and maneuver when they want to.
When the coyotes would kill a lamb, we'd see bald eagles feeding there and keeping all other predators at bay until they flew off. Looks like that highway kill was a raccoon, not that it changes the story much that they are feeders of opportunity.
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