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bald eagle

Birds of Prey: Osprey and Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

February 6, 2018 by Ole 5 Comments

My wife spotted an osprey today at Lake Mathews, so I went back with my camera to see if I could get a few pictures. When I arrived, I saw what appeared to be a big bird on a rock in the middle of the lake, but it was too far away for my lens. After I got home and zoomed in on the pictures, I realized it was a bald eagle, not the osprey. Yes, a bald eagle at Lake Mathews.

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews
I eventually found the osprey…

Osprey at Lake Mathews

Osprey at Lake Mathews

Osprey at Lake Mathews
Osprey at Lake Mathews
Osprey at Lake Mathews
Osprey at Lake Mathews

We saw bald eagles at Lake Mathews once before back in January 2016:

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

We saw two eagles that day, but we could only get close enough to one of them to get any decent pictures. Unfortunately, we were still too far away to get good pictures. Hopefully that will change some day.

Additional info…

Some facts about bald eagles:

Distinguished by a white head and white tail feathers, bald eagles are powerful, brown birds that may weigh 14 pounds and have a wingspan of 8 feet. Male eagles are smaller, weighing as much as 10 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 feet. […]

Bald Eagles live near rivers, lakes, and marshes where they can find fish, their staple food. Bald Eagles will also feed on waterfowl, turtles, rabbits, snakes, and other small animals and carrion. […]

Bald Eagles may live 15 to 25 years in the wild, longer in captivity.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Excerpts from the American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act:

The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The bald eagle was designated as the national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, by our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress.
(2) The bald eagle is the greatest visible symbol of the spirit of freedom and democracy in the world.
(3) The bald eagle species is unique to North America and represents the American values and attributes of freedom, courage, strength, spirit, loyalty, justice, equality, democracy, quality, and excellence.

Source: American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act

Some facts about ospreys:

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus)—also known as the sea hawk, fish eagle, river hawk or fish hawk—is a large raptor, reaching more than 24 inches in length with a wingspan of up to 71 inches. As its other names suggest, the osprey’s diet consists almost exclusively of fish—up to 99% fish. […]

The typical lifespan of an osprey is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can grow to as old as 20–25 years.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Filed Under: Animals Tagged With: bald eagle, lake mathews, osprey

Bald Eagle Sighting at Lake Mathews – Jan 20, 2016

January 20, 2016 by Ole 1 Comment

Driving by Lake Mathews today, my wife yelled, “There they are!”

She was referring to the bald eagles we have heard about that nest at Lake Mathews during the winter. Here is the iPhone picture I snapped when we pulled over:

Bald Eagles at Lake Mathews

We immediately turned around and headed home to grab our cameras.  When we returned, we were fortunate that this beautiful bald eagle was still hanging around enjoying a meal:  

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

Just as I was walking along the roadway to try a different vantage point, the eagle flew away…

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

Fortunately, the eagle landed on the Cajalco side of the dam. Although we couldn’t get close enough to get great pictures, we still managed to get a few that were decent enough to post:

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

Seeing our national emblem out in the wild was such a great experience.

“The Congress finds as follows: (1) The bald eagle was designated as the national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, by our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress. – From the American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

A few facts from The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Distinguished by a white head and white tail feathers, bald eagles are powerful, brown birds that may weigh 14 pounds and have a wingspan of 8 feet. Male eagles are smaller, weighing as much as 10 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 feet. […]

Eagles mate for life, choosing the tops of large trees to build nests, which they typically use and enlarge each year. Nests may reach 10 feet across and weigh a half ton. They may also have one or more alternate nests within their breeding territory. […]

Bald Eagles may live 15 to 25 years in the wild, longer in captivity.

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

After watching this beautiful creature for a few moments, it flew away.

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews
Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews
Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

Filed Under: Animals, Sights Tagged With: bald eagle, birds, lake mathews

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