Had a visitor in the neighborhood this afternoon

[drmeow]

I love rappers!

[2naSalit]

1. Wow!

Good catch! Looks like it could be a female. Was it really big?

[drmeow]

4. Yeah - it was pretty big

We live in a pond/small lake and my office overlooks it. I saw a big bird swoop down and thought it was an osprey so when it settled on a branch I grabbed the binoculars (which I keep by the window). I was floored to it was an eagle, even though we've seen them at the house before). The picture was taken with the camera attached to our scope. Later that afternoon I saw two of them flying around the lake along with an osprey. Pretty incredible experience.

[2naSalit]

12. Sometimes they compete with

osprey for nests. Occasionally they can be seen fighting in flight. There must be good fishing in the lake. Must be a nest near by.

[drmeow]

19. I think there is an osprey

who has a nest here. The homeowners association stocks the pond so, yeah, there's pretty good fishing.

My understanding is that there are at least three nesting pairs of bald eagles on the river about 7 miles away.

The bald eagles didn't hang around for long.

[elleng]

2. WOW!

Have had them here, haven't seen in a while; ospreys are back.

[drmeow]

6. I thought this was an osprey at first

I'm not good at iding birds by flight - I just saw a big dark bird. This is why I keep binoculars by the window!

[elleng]

8. I learned the difference between ospreys and eagles a few years ago,

after I'd moved further from DC, at river side; now I can (almost) identify hawks, including TURKEY hawks!

There's an osprey nest adjacent to my house, they return in spring (to make chicklets,) so watching them is one of the things I do, with all my retirement time, and am NOT unhappy about social distancing, as there are few people near me. I DO miss my daughter and grands, tho.

[drmeow]

28. I'm not good at remember

things like differences in wing shape or the way they fly. I just saw a large dark bird and I knew there had been an osprey who used to hang out close to the spot where this eagle landed so I just assumed it was the osprey. I'm hoping to get better at the identifying living in this house.

[elleng]

30. I don't identify by wing shape or the way they fly,

but colors of heads and beaks. Osprey beaks are black, and head feathers with WITH black, and white chests; female has dark brown/black 'necklace' on her upper chest.

[malchickiwick]

3. Majestic AF

We don't get baldies down here, but I'm lucky to see a goldie every so often, also majestic.

[drmeow]

5. we saw one golden this year

I guess they migrate through the area. A few years ago there are at least 3 nesting baldy pairs on the river (I wasn't living here) but I never expected to see them over our man made pond at least 6 or 7 miles from the river!

[malchickiwick]

11. They do love the water. Used to see many bald eagles during summers spent in N MI as a kid.

Here in the Mojave, I see an occasional golden, lots of turkey vultures (i think that's what they are), a red tail hawk now and then, and I once spotted a kestrel. We have grackles out the whazoo, BTW.

[2naSalit]

14. At least a third

of the diet of bald eagles is fish. They eat a lot of other stuff but they are not often found nesting far from water where there are fish. Osprey eat only fish. So if you like to fish, look for the osprey and bald eagles.

[drmeow]

18. My impression was that

bald eagles preferred running water so would prefer the much larger river - of course, its at flood stage with minor flooding so maybe the fishing is better at our little pond right now!

[2naSalit]

31. That makes sense.

Up here we have both migrating and non-migrating eagles. Most of the migratory birds show up at the same time as spring runoff so the water is running too hard and it's opaque so they go looking for fish in clearer water that's calmer. They have to be able to see what they are diving for. It's true for all of them. Osprey, Blue Heron and kingfishers will be looking in streams and ponds when the river is wild. Some eat other stuff like frogs and salamanders and the omnivores will catch rabbits and other small mammals.

Birds are so amazing.

[mr_lebowski]

7. That's flippin' sweet!

LUCKY!

[drmeow]

9. I was bummed

I had to be on a conference call (was actually on an earlier one when I spotted it) - at least it wasn't a video call but couldn't just sit and watch for the whole time it sat there. My husband took the pictures.

[secondwind]

10. Wow 😯!!!!

[Skittles]

13. HE THINKS HE IS ALL THAT

and.........he is

[drmeow]

21. So right!

[Leghorn21]

15. Just think, that magnificent creature started out like this:

EEK!! This is a new baby from the SW Florida Eagle cam, just over 2 weeks old...he/she’s doing great and will be *gorgeous* someday, too!!

https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/

[drmeow]

23. cool n/t

[KT2000]

34. these two fell out of their nest

their nest is a popular attraction so help came quickly. A local raptor center helped get them corralled and an arborist took them back up in to their nest. Sorry - couldn't copy the image but if you click on the link there is a pretty funny picture of the pair.

https://www.thedodo.com/in-the-wild/bald-eagle-babies-reunite-with-mom-washington

[drmeow]

41. Love it! n/t

[mgardener]

16. We had hawks

Gliding above our house. Don't know what kind.
Watched them for about a 1/2 hour.
The closer they got to my house the birds let out a warning and they all disappeared. Squirrels too.

We visited Florida in the fall and a bald eagle sat on the peak of the house next door.
They are magnificent.

[drmeow]

20. I can often find the hawks

by listening for the blue jays shrieking at them!

[live love laugh]

17. A good omen? 🤞🙏🏽

[drmeow]

24. I'd like to hope so

but its not the first time this year. On the other hand, we didn't notice them last year - whether they weren't here or we just didn't see them is hard to say. If you aren't looking out the window at the right time, you might never see them. Working from home is making it easier for me to see the birds!

[safeinOhio]

22. A few days ago I wish would have got a picture.

I live with in the boundaries of the Reservation and spotted a pair flying low over the Soaring Eagle Casino. I live on the land of the People of the 3 Fires. We don’t own this land, we only care for it.

[drmeow]

25. Agreed

although it is nice to legally "own" it to help care for it!

[sandensea]

26. Talk about a sign!

And he doesn't look happy.

[ffr]

27. Got a Koi pond?

You may have a pairing couple raising young.

[drmeow]

29. I think they are nesting at the river

about 7 miles away. They come by here occasionally but we see more ospreys - and lots of blue herons!

[Dem2theMax]

32. I am so jealous! But so happy you got to see that in person!

I have a lot of red tailed hawks and turkey vultures where I live. And I have seen one golden eagle.

Trade you one of the local crows for the bald eagle!

[drmeow]

42. LOL - we've got plenty of crows, too

Red tailed hawks and turkey vultures as well!

[drmeow]

46. Today I saw 3 crows

chase away a bald eagle! I yelled at them but they didn't stop

[RainCaster]

33. That's a young one - probably a yearling

After two years a yellow ring appears around the eyes, and the feet turn yellow too.

I watch them hunt near out house all summer long. We also have an osprey nest that has been in use for 10+ years now. During the last week before the young have to hunt for themselves, the parents get desperate enough to hunt our koi.

[sl8]

35. I don't think a yearling would have a white head.

From what I can tell, they get their adult plumage at 3-5 years old.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id

[drmeow]

45. Correct n/t

[Niagara]

37. Wow!

This is magnificent. Thanks for sharing.

[Brother Buzz]

38. Lucky you!

We have a pair of Swainson's Hawks setting up home in a bunya tree across the street. The crows had a similar design on the tree are not happy, and I'm enjoying the show.

[jimlup]

39. Real Eagles are far and few...

wish we had one in Washington

[vapor2]

40. SO JEALOUS

And I get excited when our hawk visits.

[Ziggysmom]

43. Be careful with your small dogs and cats outside

They are seen as prey to large raptors. Eagles can carry up to five pounds, but even if a pet is too heavy be snatched up by the bird, their long, sharp talons can inflict serious injury.

[drmeow]

44. None of my 3 cats is allowed

outside without supervision - the two young ones (about 10 lbs) go out on the enclosed/screened porch. The older (about 7 lbs) occasionally goes out on the non-screened porch when I'm sitting out there. What you posted is EXACTLY one of the reasons why!