Something was happening with our nesting pair of Bald Eagles today. I was painting the house and noticed cars stopping on the road in front of our house to look at something on the beach. I went to look and saw the pair of eagles on a rock in the water. This is unusual in itself as they usually hunt separately. Watching them for a while I noticed another eagle, this one without the telltale white (Bald) head in the water near the rock.
I assumed it must be their young because immature Bald Eagles do not have a white head. As I watched, the third eagle climbed onto the rock with them and after it stood there for a minute, one of the adults pushed it back into the water and both adults flew away, one to another rock and the second to a nearby tree where they sat watching. The third eagle climbed back up onto the rock where it stood alone, wings spread drying in the sun. I thought maybe the adults were teaching the young one to swim or fish or else simply trying to get it to leave the nest. I left them and went back to my painting.
Just a short time ago I noticed more vehicles stopping and when I went to investigate, found the third eagle sitting atop a very large rock on the beach beside the walkway. I took my camera down and snapped this photo of it. It is a huge, beautiful bird and to be allowed to approach this close is a privilege.
That is interesting. So what were they doing? Trying to get it to leave the nest? I heard a strange story about how they teach their young to fly. Drop them from high up and swoop down and catch them just before they hit the ground if they don't fly. Not sure if it's true. Brackendale has tons of Eagles early June. Feeding on the spawning salmon. Numbers have gone down since the CN spill but of course that is completely unrelated.
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