To my birding readers: how is this for an odd scene? It's the strangest bird picture I've ever taken, and the first ever of a bald eagle. I imagine they've been in our area for awhile, but until today I had never seen one south of Lake Tahoe. We were driving up through the Sierra Nevada foothills between the Gold Rush towns of Hornitos and Mariposa, and came across the group of scavenging birds. Mrs. Geotripper saw a pair of eagles in the Don Pedro Reservoir area two weeks ago, so I am wondering if they have moved into the region permanently.
I am also wondering if the coyote was shot (I certainly hope not poisoned) since I'm guessing that coyotes are too big to be attacked by the eagles. The scene was playing out in a large pasture allotment along Hornitos Road at an elevation of about 1,100 feet.
I believe you are correct that a coyote is too big for an eagle to hunt…although perhaps just barely. I was walking along the beach the other day and enjoying the winter sunshine and the way the mist clung to the pine trees when an Eagle flew overhead in a dive bomb toward my Australian Cattle Dog Thor , who admittedly, I had foolishly let get pretty far out ahead of me since we were alone on the stretch of coastline (Thor is approx. the same size as a coyote). I was too far away to get there in time and in a panic I did the only thing I could think of which was to drop in a crouch and grab for a rock to hurl. Luckily the Eagle veered off at the last second when he got within about 10 feet, I’m guessing because of a reassessment of Thor’s 38 lb girth. Alaskan wilderness lesson learned, relax and enjoy the mountains, glaciers and scenery, but never be without a rock in your pocket. -Erica
ReplyDeleteBald eagles are scavengers, so seeing one eating a carcass of a dead animal is not surprising.
ReplyDeleteIt is unusual to see a vulture and a raven there too. Since I'm not an ornithologist, I don't know how unusual...
By the way, Ben Franklin suggested that our national symbol should be the turkey, not the scavenging bald eagle...