Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, and the Hood Canal

When eagles grapple, lock talons and spin in the air, one of them has to turn over on its back and extend its feet for the other to come down and engage. I have seen this same behavior with white tailed kites (see prior blog post). A review on the web explains this behavior as a territorial struggle. At the Hood Canal you could see this happen often, one eagle turning on its back and the other engaging, though often they would appear about to engage and not. What is curious to me is why, if this is a battle for superiority, would one of them take a position upside down, which would seemingly imply a weaker, inferior more vulnerable position? I am still convinced it is more of a courting behavior. Of maybe just fun to do. In any case Bald Eagles are top of the pecking order and no one knows it better than the Great Blue Herons who feed in the same waters.

Speaking of fun, watch the behaviors between eagles and Great Blue Herons and you are sure to get a chuckle out of it. Here an adult Bald Eagle swoops down very near a heron. It is not after the heron, it is after the Midshipman fish near by.

Here a juvenile eagle is coming in for a fish and the heron appears to experience an elevated heart rate in its attempt to get out of the flight path.

Now, those midshipmen fish are everywhere, why is it the eagles tend to swoop down next to the herons? Could be they love upsetting the herons. Or it could be that they know the herons are good fishermen and wherever you find one you will find fish. It does seem at times that the eagles would prefer to take a fish from a heron that catch one on their own. Next week I will post a series of images showing what I mean.

If you would like to follow my blog and have it delivered to your email, please follow this link:

https://follow.it/notes-to-my-mother?leanpub

Comments

The East Side of the Sierras is Beautiful

Why “Notes to My Mother”? My mother was the one person in my life who was always interested in what I was doing, what I had to say, who I was. She was never too busy to listen and take an interest. Never critical, always accepting. Even when I was wrong or misguided, there would still be a gentle interested listener present. Though she has been gone over 6 years, I still get the urge to write or call her, to share an image I am proud of or share my latest adventure to some beautiful place. I know she would love to hear about it. My mother was an artist. She painted most of her life, right up to her passing at the age of 96. When I was 4 years old we lived on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. She would take me out to paint with her - she with her easel, me with mine - and we would sit together creating our art. While I gave up on the medium she kept at it. Then, in the year she passed I picked up a digital camera and began my adventure into the world of landscape ph...

Eastern Sierras in Black and White

In November 2021 my grandson, Levi, and I headed to the Eastern Sierras to do some photography and enjoy the east side. Levi is a budding photographer (just sold his first print last week) and immerses himself fully into the pursuit of great images. Lundy Lake on a cold morning but enjoyable nonetheless. Just south of Mammoth Lakes, Mount Morrison rises to the heavens. This image was taken at sunset. Had the wind been just a bit calmer some very nice reflections would have graced our view. Maybe next time.

Mesa Arch & The Washer Woman

When the first light of the day hits the underside of an arch in Canyon Lands or Arches National Parks they glow a beautiful shades of crimson much like those found in slot canyons. A magnificent example is Mesa Arch located in Canyon Lands, Utah. However, as with many of the more popular photography spots, if you want to get a good shot you have to be there early. We were staying in Moab and it was about an hour’s travel time from the motel to getting on site at the arch. But arriving at or near sunrise would not be sufficient, we had to be there at least two hours before sunrise in other to have assurance of a front row seat. This is one of the parts shooting sunrises that I enjoy tremendously. Getting up around 3 am, traveling to the site under the stars, walking in to the location in the dark and setting up without being able to see the whole scene that is going to unfold. On this morning we had a treat. We were the first ones there so we could pick our spots. But more...

Notes To My Mother

Search This Blog