I watched, amazed, as Hershey the smallest male bald eagle on the lake set his talons and took this huge carp.
Hershey weighs about 10 pounds. The common carp weighs at least 2 pounds.
Hershey never got the fish more than 3 feet above the water.
He essentially crashed landed on the shore and flopped over on the fish.
He stood up, jumped all over the carp, and eventually left the carp on the shore.
This is the only time I have seen any eagle take a carp!
At this point in the herring gull melee, the fish was the only one with his mouth closed and silent.
The lowest herring gull, on the left, is the one who caught the fish and then dropped it.
Ultimately, the fish won this round, after actually bouncing off the surface of the river and then diving for safety.
Fish are slippery and hard to hold onto, even when you have sharp talons.
This 2 year old eagle certainly flipped this fish away and behind himself, alas.
On second thought, the fish was probably happy about the outcome of his flight.
