Golden Eagle in Alton

[Lakebabies]

We had an enormous Golden Eagle fly low over our house yesterday. It spent quite a while hunting from the neighbor's tree, then caught a big fish off Woodlands Point near Little Mark Island. It was quite a site. I'm no expert, but my Google search info says that their wing span is up to 7 feet and they stand about 3 feet high. Amazing.

I posted some photos in the photo gallery.

[Resident 2B]

Thanks for capturing the moment and sharing with us.

R2B

[Grant]

That eagle appears to have a red band on its right leg.

[Lakebabies]

I didn't notice the band before you mentioned it, but zooming in on the photo I can see it. I'll have to check the other pictures (we went a little overboard) to see if it is visible.

[ApS]

Lakebabies:

Last week, I posted seeing a juvenile Bald Eagle on its way to Alton (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=37238&postcount=27), but was waffling later about the identification.

It was a really dark brown bird, and had too-few scattered white markings to be a juvenile Bald Eagle. Goldens are less often seen in the Eastern states, which complicated the identification for me.

Now I think the bird I saw was "your" Golden Eagle.

But even Audubon painted one and named it the other (http://www.eagles.org/vueaglewebcs/bio_develop.htm), so I'm in good company. :emb:

[Loony Singer]

Very interesting! We live at the end of Moultonboro Neck, and last Saturday saw a very large bird gliding around, swooping down looking for fish, etc., right in front of us. He was big enough that he sat on a dead tree branch which promptly broke under his weight! We didn't have a camera nearby, but studied him through our binocs. He looked just like your guy. We checked our Audubon guide, and decided that he was indeed either an immature bald eagle or a golden. Our guide says that goldens are very rare in the eastern U.S., so we were leaning towards the immature bald.

A little later on, we saw two big birds gliding nearby on the thermals. We think it was the same bird, plus a friend. Quite a sight in any case!

[riverat]

I also saw this beautiful bird, only it was late spring or early summer. It was flying treetop height and was looking for dinner over the Merrymeeting River about a mile south of the Rt. 28 bridge. I got a good look at it from below because it flew right over my head, and after some research the only bird I could match it up to was a Golden Eagle but thought that being kinda far fetched. But now I feel more confident that it was. Cool:D

[SteveA]

This sure looks like the eagle in the pictures lakebabies took.

http://www.centralpets.com/animals/birds/raptors/rpt2973.html

It was many years ago, but all three of my kids went on a field trip to the top of some mountain to watch the raptors riding the thermals. They were told the birds they were observing were "Golden Eagles'

And we all know that we have the Gilford Golden Eagles :)

SteveA

[Lakebabies]

We identified it by using our handy dandy birds of North America book and a little online research. I think it's a Golden Eagle - but the extent of my scientific knowledge is that it looked like the picture in the book and seemed to match the description...HUGE! :eek: :eek:

We were eye level with that bird and it was menacing.

[Quilt Lady]

Last winter there was a thread on the forum about a deer carcass on the ice near the mouth of Small's Cove. It was being visited daily by a pair of full grown Bald Eagles. They were happily enjoying their meals until a beautiful Golden Eagle came along and took possession of the carcass. Seeing the two birds side by side (well, almost) you could see the Golden was much larger, leading me to believe the Golden was a female. (With birds of prey, the female is generally larger.) The Bald Eagles tried to force her off but she took no guff from them and rolled on her back with talons up and ready to defend the carcass. The Bald Eagles backed off and waited until she finished. It was an amazing few days as the carcass disappeared.

And some people wonder what we do up here all winter!:D The ice is full of interesting wildlife adventures!

[Weirs guy]

Last winter there was a thread on the forum about a deer carcass on the ice near the mouth of Small's Cove.

Thats wicked funny, I was just wondering the other day what had happened to the deer.

[ApS]

"...I think it's a Golden Eagle - but the extent of my scientific knowledge is that it looked like the picture in the book and seemed to match the description...HUGE! :eek: :eek:

We were eye level with that bird and it was menacing.
How about from below eye level?

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i117/chipmunkwhisperer/mako_004.jpg