I lived up in the mountains on the North fork of the Stilaguamish River for a number of years. There were quite a few Eagles around there. One time I was cutting firewood from a log jam right on the river with a friend. There had been some young Eagles flying up and down the river over us for a while. One glided down to the water and it almost appeared that he stopped and stood on the water for a second or two, then flew off with a pretty nice sized steelhead. One of those memories etched in forever. Awesome creatures. I used to watch them for hours from my living room while I played guitar. Can't do that in the city.
Last Edited by on Dec 20, 2012 8:04 PM
1847, you misspelled &$#@. I guess the experts are saying this is fake. My predatory bird buddy told me that he thought the eagle wouldn't simply carry off his prey, always digs it's talons into the critter to kill it and then it might carry it off after it was dead. I bet JD has some firsthand experience with this.
Just wedge tail eagles around here. One day I was riding my road bike down chimney pot hill, pretty steep run, doing about 50mph, became aware of eagle eating carrion on road about same time it noticed me. For a moment we were side by side, as it was taking off. Massive bird, I swear I could hear its wings hitting the air, above the wind roaring in my ears. I was pretty keenly alive at that moment.. My riding buddy was up the road a bit, on his brakes I think, and completely missed it. I was absolutely buzzing with the thrill, he saw nothing. Closest I'll get to flying with eagles... ----------
A couple of years ago, I was working on a dam up in the hills just east of the Silicon Valley area. We were on a small barge sitting out on the water and could watch the shoreline while whichever diver was on bottom working. Big golden eagles were regulars. One morning, a coyote came into view and was slinking along into a relatively flat and open section of the edge of the reservoir. All of a sudden, this big air-to-ground missile bombed down onto the back of the neck of the 'yote like a hammer. I'm not sure what those big birds weigh, but this thing was all inertia and sharp objects. It hit hard. Not like that stupid video where it looks like some leisurely grab on a squirrel or small fish. It blasted this thing. All business and violence. The coyote was struggling but he had those big talons clearly fully engaged into him and all he could do was twist around trying to break free. Seconds later, a second eagle came in almost as hard. It was over shortly thereafter and they sat and pulled the thing apart for about an hour. They finally took big detached sections and flew off. I saw that video and laughed. If your kid got whacked by an eagle, I think you'd have a hard time getting your kid back alive. ---------- ~Buzadero Underwater Janitor, Patriot
This won't go over well but oh well, I'll attempt as a public service. We believe what we want to believe. It's safe, comfortable and fun. That's why I know Santa is real. Otherwise, people are puppets. The level of thought-reflection-skepticism-critical-rational analysis etc among "many" is pitiful. Why? Civilization is fat happy and successful, so we don't need to think. Feed me, more more more. We believe what we want to believe. Or, we could just wonder a little more... It's actually fun. Switch from Hannity to Maddow to CSPAN to PBS to CNN and then read some. The eagle? I saw it yesterday and believed it at first -then my radar said wait. I like the radar. It's the one we all have that talks to us. It's the hmmmmm meter. It's cool to use. Maybe not ALL the time because it gets tiring. I went to the Snopes site and the hoax was spelled out there. That's also where I proved Santa was real. Don't mess with Santa.
Last Edited by on Dec 21, 2012 8:28 AM
Super Bee-> The adult American bald eagle has a wing span of 6 to 7 feet. The one that often perched it's self at the top of a dead tree across the river from my living room window certainly was audible on take off. After that you don't hear them before you see them if you hear anything at all.
Buz-> Is a 20 to 30 lb steelhead a small fish? I don't think the birds up here bother with our scrawny little sqirrels.
One thing is for sure if an eagle swooped in and locked it's talons into a toddler the chances of it dropping it's prey unintentionally would have to be slim.
Last Edited by on Dec 24, 2012 10:31 AM
JD, yeah that is the zone our wedge tails are in, about 7 foot wingspan, body a yard long. Riding a push bike alongside one just taking off from ground level was a once in a lifetime experience. I looked across and this massive bird was alongside me for just a second or two. I was doing 45-50 mph as I came up on it. I still remember the sound of those wings hitting the air. Whoomph! I'd never been so close to one before (or since). Just a lunchtime ride, a mile out of town. I didn't really understand how big they are, before that.
When in Alaska I spoke with a resident who clained to have aquired a road kill salmon when it landed on the road in front of their car. If this person is to be believed, I guess eagles do occasionally drop their prey, and won't fight a motorist for it.
Your anecdote is similar to, but much more inspiring than, something I witnessed. A 50MPH bicycle decent on hwy 150 near Lake Cuyamaca. A pigeon size bird is startled by the peloton and flies into the spokes of the cyclist ahead of me. One second bird, the next an explosion of scattered feathers. No casualties except the bird, and we did not stop as we were trying to catch the riders ahead who did not see this.
STME58: that would have been a moment! I'm glad I didn't get an eagle in the spokes! Yeah, there has to be a compelling reason to stop when you're chasing hey. ----------
i had a large eagle bounce off the front forks of my motorcyle once. i was coming around a bend on an uphill mountain road and he was eating something on the left side of the road. right as i approached, he took off across the road, flying right in front of me so my front forks nailed him. he bounced over a guardrail and was gone, don't know what happened to him.
Bit off topic but i always liked the sparrow in bugs bunny who wanted to be a chicken hawk, one of my jockey size drinkin mates has the nickname "chicken hawk"...bad case of being a short ass who aint 6 feet tall and hates tall blokes, but he's as quick as a terrier after a rat if you's get my drift.
