Betsy watching a Bald Eagle sitting on the ice.
Betsy and I went eagling on Saturday. It was the first relatively warm day in a couple of weeks and we had to take advantage of it.
The Bald Eagles come to the Connecticut River from Maine and the northern provinces every winter. They seek out open water where they fish, and sometimes do a little duck hunting. It’s a regular phenomenon that draws thousands of eagle watchers every year.
This is the sub-adult Bald Eagle Betsy's looking at in the above picture.
I usually lead tours for different groups interested in seeing these striking raptors. There is nothing like watching someone see their very first eagle. This is a bird many have seen pictures of, and of course recognize as our national symbol, but have never imagined they’d actually get to see – and up close!
I took a break from leading trips this year, but still needed to get my fix in. The way I see it is if these birds are going to go through the trouble of migrating to an area within twenty minutes of my home, I owe it to myself to see them.
It’s good medicine.
The eagle watch comments remind my wife Barbara and me of our eagle watch under John’s guidence…back in the late 90’s…a cold day in February! This was our first occasion of seeing eagles in the wild. John spotted a golden eagle soaring above as a bonus! We now live in NW Ohio and have 300′ on the Blanchard River in Findlay, OH. A few weeks ago, I recognized the form of an eagle approaching form the east. It landed in a tall tree at the river’s edge about 200′ from our deck. Great site…reminded me of our CT experience!