It's Raining Feathers!

[Stephen T.]

Yesterday afternoon, I was out at the pond, when it started. Singles and clumps of feathers were drifting down like snow flakes, landing around me and in the pond. I looked up and there was the bald eagle, perched in the pine tree just west of our property line.

The upside is some great viewing and photos, the downside of having eagles feeding over our property, this morning in the fenced off area around the tree, is picking up and burying the head and wings, along with assorted other body parts. At least with it fenced, Shaker (our dog) can't roll in the stuff.

Although they often eat fish up there as well, they've never bothered the fish in my pond, about 50' away.

Steve

 

[j.w]

Very nice photo's of that beautiful bird Stephen. We had a big hawk out there eating a pigeon on our wood pile day before yesterday. All I could do was use binoculars tho as trying to get closer he grabbed his/her prey and flew away!

 

[MoonShadows]

Wow! Great pics @Stephen T.

 

[Stephen T.]

Thanks J. W.,

This scene happens at least twice a week. The eagle(s) perch anywhere from 30' to 80' up in the ponderosa pine that's about 20' from the corner of our house. It's especially cool when there's a parent with a large juvenile up there. The parent will be munching away with the young one making pitiful begging sounds. Sometimes a raven will come in and harass and try to steal the meal, this can be really fun to watch!

 

[j.w]

I see the hawks a lot at the wood pile eating many different varieties of birds. The eagles do a flyover once in awhile but never stop for a meal. Think it's too wide open here, not enough big trees. I love all the critters that come by here. Since our Doug Firs and Cedars on our property have grown larger now we get more and more varieties of resident critters. One thing I don't care much for tho are the rats that come from the horse farm

 

[bagsmom]

What incredible photos!

 

[addy1]

Great pictures! I saw one fly over once at home. They are not around our house, that I know of.

 

[Stephen T.]

Bald eagles are almost as common as robins here. It's a rare day that we don't see one or more. Driving down to Klamath Falls, we sometimes see as many as 8 in the 25 miles. In February, there's the Winter Wings Festival here. There's a huge gathering of eagles just south, at lower Klamath lake, with sometimes nearly 1000 eagles. It's the largest gathering in the lower 48.

I might mention, it really does "rain feathers" in our yard, although it's more like big lazy snowflakes. I have to use a net to remove them from the pond, as many as 20 will land on my 9x12 lower pond!

 

[j.w]

They are at the rivers close to us in the winter catching their fill of fish. We have the Skagit Eagle Festival here in January. We've been to it years ago but I prefer to watch them in peace and quiet w/o all the hoopla.

 

[Lisak1]

What great photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Nyboy]

It is great to hear you have so many Bald eagles, I remember as a kid they were on the endangered list