A freshly fledged Bald Eagle overhead
We set out to see the Bald Eagles. I’ve seen such mouthwatering photographs of the adult Bald Eagles coming to their chicks that I can’t wait to see them. I’m told there’s a nest which we can view from the same level. After a hot journey and a scramble down a slope we see the nest; empty.
Later we meet a stranger who tells us that the final chick fledged just yesterday. How disappointing is that?
We head to Dyke Marsh Nature Preserve for the day. Looking out over the Potomac River in Virginia I see a huge bird. I know it’s not an adult Bald Eagle because it’s not got a white head. It must be a juvenile. It’s very distant:
What a great bird. I can’t quite believe how large their heads are given what a large bird they are.
Later in the day we go for a walk through the marsh and there’s a massive bird overhead. It’s a juvenile Bald Eagle:
That beak is stunning:
And those talons. This really is one of the most impressive birds I have ever seen; and it’s probably only a few months old.