Golden Eagle
Minutes after setting up to await the afternoon and evening
whitetail rutting activity, the calling of crows drew my attention to my
left. Looking that way I spotted a large
bird soaring above; a Golden Eagle!
Golden Eagle sightings in my neck of the woods are quite rare
and up until just a few years ago I had never seen one. Since that first sighting Willard and I have
become accustomed to the occasional sighting of a golden from mid-autumn
through early winter as the big raptors pass through on their southward migration.
Crows harassing a Golden Eagle
While any golden sighting is a surprise this one did not
come as a complete surprise. After the sun had set Wednesday evening, as the light
was failing and Willard and I were packing up the photo gear, I heard a rush of
wings overhead. Looking up I spotted a very
large bird swooping low, quickly disappearing behind the nearby tree line. In the
poor light I was unable to make a positive identification. There was no doubt that it was an eagle and I was pretty
sure that it was a golden and not an immature bald eagle. Thursday afternoon’s sighting confirmed my
suspicions.
