More news in the works, but first – a photo break! Bald eagles are increasingly common sights along West Seattle’s waterfront – but have you ever seen one this up-close-and-personal? Lynn Hall shares the view from Anchor (Luna) Park on Duwamish Head. It’s been almost eight years since bald eagles came off the Endangered Species List, but as this page explains, they are still protected.
Let’s keep it that way! What a beautiful animal, and an incredible shot, almost as good as that guy is about to have!
Yes, I saw that eagle last weekend after dawn, on the roof of the condos that jut out over the water just south of Alki: he was perched sentinel looking west, in the low light we thought he was actually a statue, til he moved his huge head. Amazing.
Ehyi, I wrote back to Lynn before publishing this, asking if she was sure it was real, had she seen it flying up or flying away (she had) … We see eagles often but in this photo it just almost looked as if it could be a photo op with a realistic looking imitation! – TR
It is extraordinary how common eagles and osprey are these days. When I was growing up, an eagle flying overheard was enough reason to run out of the house to get a look, now it barely garners a second glance. I suppose one could take this as evidence of a relatively healthy Puget Sound.
For a few weeks earlier this spring, we had one that would either frequent a telephone pole in the alley behind the building or, for a day or two, sit on the fence overlooking our patio and sing the song of his people at about 5:30 am.
Suffice to say, we don’t let our little dog out on the patio by herself any more…
Beautiful though!
I appreciate how big and awesome this eagle is, but I think most appreciative birders stay further away from wild animals than is evidenced in this picture. Yes, I am Debbie Downer about this, but that is too close for viewing a wild animal. We do NOT want to habituate them any more than they already are. We birders carry a pair of binoculars in our cars. Nearly every day there are viewing opportunities of one type or another for fantastic creatures large and small, but from a distance. Please.
Maybe just a coincidence, but I saw two bald eagles soaring above the Fairmount Park neighborhood early this afternoon. Pretty sure it was male and female, one was clearly larger than the other, and its head/tail were whiter (the male).
Of course, the crows were hassling the male, but then the female came to the rescue and started giving the crows some of her business. It worked – the crows took off.
The whole time (and this was several minutes): the eagles never flapped a wing once…
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