Not Crows

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All photos on this page © 2008 CFinn


Lumpy
Juvenile Bald Eagle Begging


Photos taken on B street between Oasis and Wooded Campground on 3/02/2008 (mislabeled 03-01-2008).

This Juvenile was probably experiencing its first or second winter. I believe the more white a bald eagle has the closer it is to maturity. They are adults at around age 5, I think. This one had what looked like an abscess or tumor on its right foot so i called him Lumpy (actually I think it is a her). I reported it to someone at Sea Life Center who reported it to 2 vets and asked to send more pics if I saw him again but I did not see it again after I emailed them. I saw this eagle several times but do not recall if I saw it after this date.

TONSILS



This juvenile bald eagle I named Tonsils for obvious reasons. Tonsils begged piteously and persistently. His/her territory seemed to be around the USGS banding site.


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Tonsils begged



and begged



and begged



Photos taken Feb 10 2008
Tonsils often looked directly at me just before letting loose a mournful "Feed Me!"




All of the pics of Tonsils were taken near the USGS banding site




photo taken January 9 2008 on the road just West of The Circle
Sometimes an eagle would sit near me when i fed sunflower seeds to crows. It broke my heart when one would start to beg and check out the sunflower seeds to see if it was something it could eat. I know that starvation is part of the balance of nature, but if i have any food when an eagle or other bird begs I will offer it . I watched adult and juvenile eagles eat bread when that was all I had - and to me that meant they were too hungry. In the summer I've seen them turn their noses beaks up at suet (the beef fat kind, not the bird seed) so you KNOW if they eat bread they are desperately hungry. Mostly if I fed the eagles anything at all I gave them hotdogs, suet, or cut up pieces of beef .


In the 2 pics above, taken 2/10/2008 at USGS banding site, Tonsils had been begging and trying to eat bird seed so I finally offered him bread - the only thing I had with me besides bird seed. Sadly, the young eagle gobbled it up like he was starving. I think winters must be very hard on our eagles.



This juvenile I also sometimes called Tonsils because I would get the two confused. Only this one caught its own dinner on more than one occasion much to my distress. The crows and gulls were none too thrilled about it either. But, hey, eagles have to eat, too.

One day when seagulls swarmed the parking lot where I was feeding crows the above young eagle - a 3 year old I suspect - caught a seagull. I felt like I had laid a death trap for the birds. After getting over my shock and horror I recorded the eagle dining on seagull - thought my son might find it interesting (my son used to watch Discovery channel and the like and it did not bother him to watch the graphic footage of wildlife hunting. I doubt i will ever be convinced it is not a gender related phenomena lol.) After that day I tried to always bring hot dogs in case an eagle showed; I tossed a hot dog in one direction for the eagle and food to the crows and gulls in the other.


The above pic is of the devil that dared dine on Sea Gull in My presence. Twice! Here he is eating a hot dog I had hoped to distract him with. It did not work. Within moments of taking this photo this juvenile flew right over my head and caught a seagull. Which he promptly ate. In front of me. Ew.


Would you tell him 'No"?


BRUNCH

In the series of photos that follows a group of eagles conspire to steal the lunch that another eagle caught. The meal changes hands talons several times.



Larger pic

Larger pic


here is larger pic

BANDED BALD EAGLE

The Bald eagle below was banded on La Touche Island in 1991 and is more than 19 years old. The crow looks like it is a ballet dancer