While on the Haw River above the main lake, a friend and I watched a pair of immature bald eagles practicing the maneuver known as a death spiral. I managed to get one of the talon to talon grabs that the youngsters were practicing; when they get really good at this skill they lock both feet to both feet. This is a critical skill for a bald eagle to learn as it is part of the breeding behavior of a potential breeding pair of bald eagles. The upper bird is a 4-year-old and the lower bird is a 3-year-old.
The fledgling eagle was enjoying a Sunday morning quiet moment (rare for a youngster to be quiet early in the day) when, well, when, oh why don’t I let you see what happened…
The dawn was gently layered in pastel pinks and blues. The elegant plunging body of the 4-year-old bald eagle was an arrogant jewel against the soft sky. The silvered spray of her capture was an accent point to the eagle’s successful fishing.
