Brassy doesn’t care who she harasses, like this osprey.
All bald eagles will chase an osprey that is carrying a fish.
The eagle crowds or actually bumps the osprey until it drops its fish.
Usually the eagle snatches the falling fish before it hits the water.
Yes, the bald eagle is a thief.
Osprey is up top and Brassy is closing fast from the lower right.
I was enjoying Wynd’s flight about the cove when I saw her look over her shoulder.
I lifted my face from behind my camera and saw Brassy bearing down on the fledgling.
Wynd began screaming for parents, her wings and body and feet trying for more speed.
I briefly saw the flash of a parent past my lens then both Brassy and parent dove into the trees and I lost them.
Wynd headed for the nest on the other side of the cove.
Brassy sure knows how to disrupt a peaceful flight of exploration.
Wynd is the lower bird with Brassy almost on top of her.
Eagle Family Report: VIDEO of Brassy attacking Ice is at http://youtu.be/tg2ne8JiKkc
video has a slow motion replay of the attack so you can see the interactions
Yesterday I stood and listened to the screaming alerts of the fledglings as Brassy attacked.
The three year old immature eagle had come from across the cove and went straight as an arrow for the nest.
In the photo: Ice is on the left screaming his terror and defiance and Brassy is the hurtling mass of feathers just above him and to the right.
Ice managed to evade the attack and Brassy actually flew over him and right on across the top of the nest.
For those who like the details, my shutter speed was 1/2500 sec and yet Brassy’s speed still blurred her image.
In the midst of the excitement of Wynd having fledged and then Ice was in the air – the 3 year old immature eagle returned.
At one point both Kate and Petruchio were chasing Brassy (as a friend has labeled this troublemaker).
Kate quickly broke off to let Petruchio continue the air battle and she went to the nest to protect their fledglings.
As you can see, Petruchio, though considerably smaller than the probable female Brassy, wasn’t giving an inch.
The battle raged across the cove, through trees, above the nest and finally out of sight a couple of minutes later.
Way to go! Petruchio.
doc ellen's journey 