Article

2007-06-23 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by lotp 2007-06-23 08:29|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 I'm fortunate enough to see a couple of these over the reservoir near where I live once in a while. One of the things that's really striking about them is they are HUGE, have to be 5 or 6 feet across the wing.

Posted by JerseyMike 2007-06-23 09:04|| 2007-06-23 09:04|| Front Page Top

#2 "Bald eagle population soaring"

Oh, dear - do you think it could be our fault? Perhaps ~~Pro~~Congress can pass a bill to offer them all high-quality toupees.

At least the poor things can still ~~fly~~ soar.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-06-23 09:50|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2007-06-23 09:50|| Front Page Top

#3 In all seriousness, I'm glad they're making such a comeback. We have lots of them around the James River.

I was driving across one of the high bridges over the river going into downtown Richmond when a bald eagle flew directly in front of my car, just above the top of the bridge railings. It was spectacular (I almost wrecked the car - good thing it wasn't during rush hour).

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-06-23 09:54|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2007-06-23 09:54|| Front Page Top

#4 While driving up to the Olympic Rainforest in Washington state, I had just crossed the Astoria bridge over the Columbia river when a bald eagle flew overhead inbound with a freshly caught salmon in its talons. Talk about a Kodak moment!

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-06-23 12:23|| 2007-06-23 12:23|| Front Page Top

#5 I nearly caught a Bald Eagle once in the Adirondack Mountains. I used to hike up the creeks with a friend of mine's son to go fishing.

One day around dusk we were fishing using spinning lures, when a Bald Eagle flew right down the creek directly in front of us. When it got level with me, no more than 10 yards away, it suddenly pulled in its wings and started to dive. I was so surprised that I stopped reeling in my lure. The Eagle pulled out of its dive and continued flying on down the creek. It was only afterwards I realized it was diving at my spinning lure.

Posted by phil_b 2007-06-23 18:06|| 2007-06-23 18:06|| Front Page Top

#6 If you ever get up to Alaska between Anchorage and Seward, Bald and Golden Eagles are all over the place.

Some years ago, a woman who worked at a cannery asked if she could have some of their waste fish parts, as she noted that the Bald Eagles that lived around the protected bay had a hard time during the winter months.

So she started to feed them. Pretty soon, she was taking dumpsters full of fish parts for large flocks of eagles, and the State police had to set up a cordon for the photographers.

She must have had 20 or 30 eagles hopping around on the ground, gobbling down fish parts.

If you love wildlife, I highly recommend a visit during the first week in July. By then most of the mosquitoes are gone, everything is green and lush, flowers everywhere and temperatures that hover around 70 degrees. Plus 20 hours of sunlight a day, so you never want to sleep and walk everywhere.

Anchorage is very civilized, and ironically, the prices are pretty average, except for seafood, which costs more. I managed to gain a pound every day I was there.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-06-23 21:20|| 2007-06-23 21:20|| Front Page Top

#7 Unfortunately, some native Indian groups insist that real eagle feathers be used in head-dresses. Thus, most eagles are killed on Reserve lands in pursuit of the black market in feathers. If you know where to look, eagle feathers are easy to find because they fight hard over carrion. Ergo: the feathers fly.

Posted by McZoid 2007-06-23 22:06|| 2007-06-23 22:06|| Front Page Top

23:58 Zenster
23:11 lotp
23:02 Frank G
22:57 trailing wife
22:55 trailing wife
22:55 trailing wife
22:50 Zenster
22:50 trailing wife
22:46 Zenster
22:34 Zhang Fei
22:21 Alaska Paul
22:19 Zhang Fei
22:17 trailing wife
22:11 Anguling Turkeyneck9310
22:08 trailing wife
22:06 McZoid
21:57 trailing wife
21:27 Anonymoose
21:21 Angaiger Tojo1904
21:20 Anonymoose
21:02 Sen Harry Reid (D-himmi)
21:01 Zenster
20:52 Pappy
20:42 Broadhead6