I Watched An Eagle Today

[Steel Tiger]

While having lunch today I was privileged to be visited by a wedge-tailed eagle. It was not close, maybe 60m or 70m straight up, but as always happens I sat in rapted silence and just watched to hang in the air with almost no movement. There is something very special about the majesty and serenity of an eagle in flight.

I thought to myself, "If I could do that I wouldn't care about anything else in the world."

 

[shesulsa]

While having lunch today I was privileged to be visited by a wedge-tailed eagle. It was not close, maybe 60m or 70m straight up, but as always happens I sat in rapted silence and just watched to hang in the air without almost no movement. There is something very special about the majesty and serenity of an eagle in flight.

I thought to myself, "If I could do that I wouldn't care about anything else in the world."

They are aMAZing creatures. We are fortunate to still have enough greenspace here to foster some eagles and many hawks. By the river you'll find more bald eagles and some osprey. They will do battle for that now rare, juicy salmon.

*thuds water bottle with ST* cheers!

 

[Steel Tiger]

I, too, am very fortunate to live in a place with a lot of green spaces. We have wedge tailed eagles and peregrine falcons. Often when I look out the window at work I can see a small kestrel or hawk hunting in the fields along the road.

On those occasions when I can get down to the coast I can see sea eagles riding the thermals along the cliffs. At some of the campgrounds they are only 20m or 30m above the ground. It is stunning how big they are.

The wedge tailed eagle is the local Aboriginal tribal animal, maybe that's why they seem just that little bit more special around here.

 

[MA-Caver]

While having lunch today I was privileged to be visited by a wedge-tailed eagle. It was not close, maybe 60m or 70m straight up, but as always happens I sat in rapted silence and just watched to hang in the air with almost no movement. There is something very special about the majesty and serenity of an eagle in flight.

I thought to myself, "If I could do that I wouldn't care about anything else in the world."

The thing is... you can do that... in your heart and in your mind and in your spirit.

Understanding nature and it's quiet secretive ways can help us understand our personal quiet and secretive ways...

I think many people don't quite grasp the meaning of being "one with nature" "one with all living things".
It is as I said, in your heart, in your mind and in your spirit is where we need to be one.

 

[Fiendlover]

The thing is... you can do that... in your heart and in your mind and in your spirit.

Understanding nature and it's quiet secretive ways can help us understand our personal quiet and secretive ways...

I think many people don't quite grasp the meaning of being "one with nature" "one with all living things".
It is as I said, in your heart, in your mind and in your spirit is where we need to be one.

amen to that!
:cheers:

 

[tellner]

I love my town. The Willamette River runs right through the center of Portland. You can see herons, bald eagles, ospreys and the occasional brave fisher hawk right there in downtown.

Interesting facts...

Heron populations are down as the bald eagle population rises.

Ospreys are on the increase almost entirely because cell phone towers are nearly perfect nesting sites.

 

[terryl965]

I have always been able to find peace when watching Eagle and hawkes fly, they are great creature of this world.

 

[harlan]

I grew up in the city, and never stop appreciating the wildlife that I now see on a daily basis in Western Massachusetts. A few pics from last summer..

The first is right outside of my office window. The second was next to my parked car...both about 4 feet away.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj195/Nardalee/hawk2.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj195/Nardalee/hawk20.jpg

 

[mrhnau]

I grew up in the country, and we had red tail hawks in our woods. Loved seeing them! We also have a wind mill that houses a family of barn owls. I'd sit out on the porch and watch them emerge as night came. I loved it! Living in the city now, and I really miss that...

I was also outside one day, sitting down and just reflecting. A buzzard swooped over me, about three feet over me. I guess I was sitting too still! The wings were so beautiful and articulated. Amazing!

Was back home the other day and our pond was visited by a fisher hawk. Got to see him dive a few times. Was the first time my mom had seen that since living there. Was really neat!

 

[MA-Caver]

I grew up in the city, and never stop appreciating the wildlife that I now see on a daily basis in Western Massachusetts. A few pics from last summer..

The first is right outside of my office window. The second was next to my parked car...both about 4 feet away.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj195/Nardalee/hawk2.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj195/Nardalee/hawk20.jpg

awesome photos! :asian:

 

[theletch1]

The wife and I were floating the James river here in Virginia last summer in our kayaks. We spent the first day watching herons off and on and made camp for the night. Next morning we got up at dawn, made breakfast and broke camp. Once back in the water in was a beautiful, still morning with a little fog on the water. As we rounded a corner of the river there was a bald eagle sitting not 20 feet from us on a tree branch. He just watched us as we approached, both of us too enthralled to speak. As we drew abreast of him he spread his wings and took off. I was stunned. We were near the junction of the James and Maury rivers. I'd never seen one that far upstream before.

I also had the chance to do a little work out of a helo (CH-46) at Quantico, Va back in the early '90s and was able to look DOWN and see bald eagles flying around. That was truly amazing.

 

[Blindside]

Interesting facts...

Heron populations are down as the bald eagle population rises.

Yup, it has been fairly well documented up in Puget Sound how a pair of bald eagles took every young heron in the heronry in just a couple of days. In Wyoming a pair of balds moved in next to a heronry I monitored, the next year the heronry was abandoned, and the herons had scattered to several smaller locations. Herons young are easy pickings for an eagle.

I will say that I am much more impressed by golden eagle than balds. Any bird that can take down an adult coyote or pronghorn impresses me.

And if we are showing pics, this is a young bald, just fledged, and on his first jaunt out of the nest and not really sure what to do next, which probably explains why he is going wading.

And a somewhat aggravated red-tailed hawk.

 

[shesulsa]

Agreed on the golden eagle vs bald eagle, Blindside. I think balds are just more majestic *looking* to most.

Nice pics as always.