Swimming bald eagle

Bearguy · 09-18-2014, 10:44 AM

Last week my wife and I saw an amazing sight. We are out on Bear Island and caught sight of the bird early one morning. We saw the eagle circling about 20 feet above the water, having clearly identified some prey. It dove down once but missed. It flew back up and circled again, sometimes hovering above the spot. It was windy and choppy. Then it dove down again and caught the fish. The eagle seemed to flounder at first, flapping its wings and trying to take off with the fish in claw but unable to get out of the waves due to the weight of the catch.

The eagle paused for several seconds, considering what to do next. Then it began swimming into shore, fish in tow. It used its wings in a sort of butterfly stroke, and it literally swam about 60 feet into shore. At first it couldn't get out of the water along the rocky spot when it reached the shore. It then swam some 15 feet along the shore until it reached a spot that it could climb out. The eagle then gathered itself and the fish and took off. It rose to only 6-10 feet off the water, and flew along the shore before disappearing into the wooded shoreline.

RLW · 09-18-2014, 01:17 PM

Bearguy, I was just browsing through the forum and noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Thanks, wish we had some pictures as I believe that would have been a site to see.

Bearguy · 09-18-2014, 01:52 PM

Many thanks for the welcome. Wish I had had a camera as well.

I've been a lurker for years but thought the eagle show was worth sharing.

ApS · 09-18-2014, 05:55 PM

Of the two that I found, neither is the one that showed a full-frame view of a Bald Eagle "beaching" his over-sized catch: so these videos will have to do...:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMft3Ny7hFk (short)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCDJo4_WOAg (long, with ad)

.

Bearguy · 09-19-2014, 05:03 PM

Those are great videos. Thanks for posting them. The first especially was exactly what this eagle did the other day with regard to swimming. In re the second, our eagle did not make swooping passes at the fish. Especially on the last attempt it made a sharp dive at perhaps a 75 degree angle.

09-18-2014, 10:44 AM	#1
Bearguy Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 1 Post	Swimming bald eagle Last week my wife and I saw an amazing sight. We are out on Bear Island and caught sight of the bird early one morning. We saw the eagle circling about 20 feet above the water, having clearly identified some prey. It dove down once but missed. It flew back up and circled again, sometimes hovering above the spot. It was windy and choppy. Then it dove down again and caught the fish. The eagle seemed to flounder at first, flapping its wings and trying to take off with the fish in claw but unable to get out of the waves due to the weight of the catch. The eagle paused for several seconds, considering what to do next. Then it began swimming into shore, fish in tow. It used its wings in a sort of butterfly stroke, and it literally swam about 60 feet into shore. At first it couldn't get out of the water along the rocky spot when it reached the shore. It then swam some 15 feet along the shore until it reached a spot that it could climb out. The eagle then gathered itself and the fish and took off. It rose to only 6-10 feet off the water, and flew along the shore before disappearing into the wooded shoreline.

09-18-2014, 01:17 PM	#2
RLW Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alton Bay on the mountain by a lake Posts: 2,023 Thanks: 563 Thanked 444 Times in 311 Posts	*Bearguy,* I was just browsing through the forum and noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends. Thanks, wish we had some pictures as I believe that would have been a site to see. __________________ There is nothing better than living on Alton Mountain & our grand kids visits.

09-18-2014, 01:52 PM	#3
Bearguy Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 1 Post	Thanks for the welcome. Many thanks for the welcome. Wish I had had a camera as well. I've been a lurker for years but thought the eagle show was worth sharing.

09-18-2014, 05:55 PM	#4
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 5,938 Thanks: 2,205 Thanked 776 Times in 553 Posts	Swimming Bald Eagle... Of the two that I found, neither is the one that showed a full-frame view of a Bald Eagle "beaching" his over-sized catch: so these videos will have to do...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMft3Ny7hFk (short) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCDJo4_WOAg (long, with ad) .

09-19-2014, 05:03 PM	#5
Bearguy Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 1 Post	Eagle Those are great videos. Thanks for posting them. The first especially was exactly what this eagle did the other day with regard to swimming. In re the second, our eagle did not make swooping passes at the fish. Especially on the last attempt it made a sharp dive at perhaps a 75 degree angle.

The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to Bearguy For This Useful Post:
ApS (09-18-2014), Broken Glass (09-18-2014), DRH (09-19-2014), HellRaZoR004 (09-18-2014), ITD (09-18-2014), Jeanzb1 (09-18-2014), Just Sold (09-18-2014), Lakegeezer (09-19-2014), Misha888 (09-21-2014), Mskelt (09-20-2014), Newbiesaukee (09-19-2014), pjard (09-18-2014), VitaBene (09-18-2014), WelcomeToBearadise (09-19-2014)

The Following User Says Thank You to ApS For This Useful Post:
beagle (09-20-2014)