I'll Be Right Down

by Kym Backland

Title

I'll Be Right Down

Artist

Kym Backland

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Photograph

Description

Here he is again! The local Mrs. Eagle. I think this is a female eagle. She is bigger than the male. Obviously she is ready to get something down in the water. Maybe a fish or a duck. This is the same eagle I see all the time. I can tell because of her ripped left wing. (This is her signature feather) hehe. Here are some of those Eagle Facts about the American Bald Eagle.
This is who I call Mr. Eagle. He flies around by my house. He eats ducks and salmon and river otters. He's quite the majestic fellow. I love seeing him and his family fly. I think there are new fledging hatching, or will be hatching soon. Just have to wait and see. I'm so glad these iconic birds are back after 30 years, and hopefully are doing well. Here's some information about Mr. Eagle.
The mature Bald Eagle, our national emblem, is an easily recognizable and spectacular bird. It has a dark brown body and wings and a white head and tail. Its legs and feet are bright yellow, as is its large, hooked bill. Its piercing eyes are light yellow. Females are larger than males, weigh from 10-14 pounds, and have a 6½- to 7-foot wingspan. Males usually weigh from 8-10 pounds and have a 6- to 6½-foot wingspan. Juveniles (one-year old birds) and sub-adults (birds up to four years of age) are brown, with varying degrees of white mottling below. Young eagles do not reach full adult plumage until they are 4-6 years old. Bald Eagles may live up to 40 years.
Habitat The Bald Eagle is found only in North America, generally in coastal areas or near large inland lakes and rivers that have abundant fish and shores with large trees. Behavior Bald Eagles are usually seen soaring on flat wings, flying with strong, slow wing beats, or perching in trees adjacent to water. They are opportunistic feeders - scavengers at times, predators at others. When scavenging, they are often seen on the ground or on the bank of a river or other body of water. Sometimes they steal food from other raptors. When hunting, they swoop down to the water or ground with feet thrust forward to snatch their prey. The undersides of eagle's feet are rough, and keep the fish from slipping from the eagle's grasp. Diet Bald Eagles eat many fish, live fish that they snatch from the water and dead fish, especially spawned salmon, which they pick up from stream-sides. They also eat ducks and other water birds as well as small mammals. In the San Juan Islands, rabbits, hunted living or scavenged dead, are the main source of food. In many parts of Washington in winter, American Coots are an important part of the diet as well. Nesting Bald Eagles build large stick nests called eyries in tall trees or on cliffs. They continue to build up the eyries year after year until they are massive, up to 9 feet in diameter and weighing up to 2,000 pounds. Bald Eagles do not breed until they are 4 to 6 years old, but when they pair for mating they tend to remain paired for life. The egg-laying season is generally late winter to early spring. In western Washington, sometime during the last days of February and the first days of March, the female lays 2 eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for 34 to 36 days. For the first two weeks after the young hatch, one parent is with the chicks almost constantly. The young do not start to fly until they are 10 to 12 weeks old, and the parents continue to feed and defend them for another 2 to 3 months. When and Where to Find in Washington
Western Washington has one of largest concentrations of Bald Eagles in the contiguous United States. They are common breeders along salt and fresh water at lower elevations throughout western Washington, especially in the San Juans and other northern Puget Trough islands and along both the north and west coasts of the Olympic Peninsula. They are uncommon breeders along major rivers and lakes in eastern Washington. They will nest fairly close to people; in fact several pair nest within the Seattle city limits. In winter, they are common in many areas with open water, including estuaries, major lakes, and rivers, especially those with salmon runs. Bald Eagles are well known for their abundance during the winter months on the Skagit River (Skagit County).

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May 20th, 2014

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