A bald eagle trumps a flock of Canada geese

[grasswire]

Today I was watching out my big window at the flock of Canada geese nibbling the lawn. All of a sudden, a shadow passed over them and they all ducked to the ground. Bald eagle soared overhead, then out over the river.

I had not ever thought of the eagle as a threat to geese, but their response sure showed me that they knew they were prey to it.

[applegrove]

1. My cat freaked out one time when a hot air baloon was overhead. I never thought

of cats as prey animals either but I guess they are. I did lose a cat to the cottage. Don't know how that happened.

[grasswire]

4. a small cat is missing in the neighborhood here.

Not mine. Mine never go out. I wonder if one of the eagles took it. We have a nesting pair and their young'un close by.

[aaaaaa5a]

2. Mother nature is amazing!

Pictures taken along Wallace River in Nova Scotia, CA

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1261815

[grasswire]

3. oh my lord

I hate to see a Canada goose killed. They seem so sad when mate-less. We have one here without a mate. Feeds all by himself/herself.

Thanks for those pics. My kitty boy is NEVER going outside.

[aaaaaa5a]

5. Its funny, but I generally think of Bald Eagles as scavengers and fish eaters.

But apparently, and much to my surprise, Canadian Geese are on the menu.


Here is a Bald Eagle eating a Canadian Goose.

Here is another Bald Eagle who flew in and drowned a Canadian Goose in a lake and then swam to shore with its kill.

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Who knew?

[Goblor]

10. Ouch!

Ouch... wow!

[litesong]

6. Canadian geese stirred as eagle passes

Over two & a half years late, but here I am. Was overlooking a lake on a wildlife area south of Snohomish, WA today. About 500 Canadian geese were enjoying themselves quietly on the north side of the shore. Then, they began to communicate with each other. They became more active. Suddenly all 500 geese took to the sky, moving to an area eastward, away from the lake. With binoculars, I spotted a bald eagle flying a few hundred feet above the lake, moving north to south. Past the lake, I spotted a 2nd eagle & they circled each other, then proceeded away from the entire area. The circling Canadian geese moved over to the north end of the lake, gradually descending & landed on the north shore, again. Yeah, they didn't like the eagles in the area!

[grasswire]

7. thanks for the additional anecdote nt

[litesong]

8. Blue Heron & Osprey

Thank you, grasswire for your acknowledgement. Once, I saw a confrontation between a blue heron & osprey. Unlike the Canadian geese & eagle tho, the blue heron was accidentally flying close to an osprey nest during nesting season. The osprey didn't like the heron so close, so began harrying the "blue". Of course, the osprey could have killed the heron any time, but just bugged it. The reaction of the heron was so funny tho! It clumsily squawked, flopped its wings & generally lost control of its flight. With legs tangling as it tried to avoid the osprey, its aerial antics made it look like Ichabod Crane(joke not intended) bouncing on a horse. Fluttering this way & that, the heron made sure all its moves were "AWAY FROM THE OSPREY NEST". Finely, the osprey returned to its nest......& I think my binoculars showed the osprey with a smirk on its face.

[grasswire]

9. I have osprey and heron here too.

A couple of weeks ago a heron was on the mud spit when the tide was low (even though I am 100 miles from the ocean, this river is still very tidal) and a whole gang of crows was also on the spit. The heron did not like that at all, and it was the first time I had watched an agitated heron. After about fifteen minutes of being hollered at by the crows, the heron finally left.