America’s bald eagle population continues to soar • Hacker News Board

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#21

Post by Arrath » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC

blacktriangle wrote: post #12

sparker72678 wrote: post #10

Nice to get some good news.

Not if you're a rabbit.

Or small dog. I was at a campground in Alaska that had plenty of signs posted re: keeping your pets indoors. Well, someone chose to let their little poodle out of their RV and an eagle took a chance to have a snack.

The aftermath looked like someone hit a feather pillow with a shotgun.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#22

Post by abstractbarista » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:31 PM UTC

Wow, this is great to hear! I'm in North Carolina, and we have a beautiful (man-made) lake called Jordan Lake where the eagles can be frequently seen. I've been out on boats before and watched them grab fish out of the water. Then you see them fly up to a nest and chill. :) It's truly amazing.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#23

Post by abcanthur » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:33 PM UTC

ehaskins wrote: post #13

The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN has several eagles which were injured now live there. Definitely worth the trip to stand within 10ft of several Eagles, and there are usually plenty of wild eagles within sight of there as well. https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org

More anecdata, I know of a catfish processor a few miles inland from the Mississippi River (the bluffs of the Mississippi are one of their favorite habitats) in Wisconsin where they scatter fish carcasses in the fields during the winter. I have seen flocks of no less than one hundred bald eagles in the field and roosted in the nearby trees. This is interesting to me regarding the view of Bald Eagles as apex predators (America!) or scavengers (like seeing them at a landfill). They are certainly both. I've gotten within yards of them a few times while cycling in the same area; they will be feeding on roadkill and they fly off just as I quietly roll up to them. They are huge, beautiful, totally majestic, very believable to imagine them flying off with a small lamb or nightmare scenario, a toddler.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#24

Post by 29athrowaway » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:33 PM UTC

Bald eagles eat fish and other animals like squirrels and prairie dogs. The size and health of the bald eagle population is also an indicator of the health and size of the species they use as food.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#25

Post by wnevets » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:34 PM UTC

Another environmental regulation success story.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#26

Post by cgh » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:34 PM UTC

tomatotomato37 wrote: post #4

I find it amusing the article had to clarify the lower 48 states. In the majority of the United States bald eagles are a rare and majestic sight. In Alaska they are on par with seagulls.

We have a couple thousand of them in my town on a seasonal basis every year because they feed on the spawning salmon. They are a bit of a tourist attraction.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#27

Post by mason55 » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:34 PM UTC

Saw one flying over an intersection in suburban Colorado just last weekend. I had seen them "in the wild" before (e.g. while river rafting in PA) but it was interesting to see one while I was just out running errands.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#28

Post by bengale » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:36 PM UTC

danaliv wrote: post #18

wiredfool wrote: post #6

Bald Eagles are HUGE. You don't realize it until one drops out of a tree near you and flies off. Either that or you see them feeding on road kill deer.

I get fly-bys from bald eagles in the traffic pattern at an airport I frequent. Even from the cockpit they look enormous. Definitely don’t want one of those monsters to wind up on a leading edge. Incidentally it’s interesting how many raptors seem to like hanging around in airport traffic patterns. I realize there’s a bit of a selection bias here, but I do work at similar altitudes away from airports and sightings ar…

I used to have an office that overlooked an airport (in the UK), and I used to watch the birds of prey taking rabbits off the grass surrounding the runways. Seemed to be a lot of them on there, I guess since its a fairly big area where they don't get disturbed.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#29

Post by kaycebasques » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:38 PM UTC

They became a somewhat common sight for me in Bremerton, Washington and I just saw one in Pittsburgh.

Re: America’s bald eagle population continues to soar

#30

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 24, 2021, 5:39 PM UTC

NDizzle wrote: post #14

I just moved back to Arkansas after being in California for 20 years. Here's a picture a local took along AR highway 59. 7 bald eagles hanging out. https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/155912289_4304... I have some good shots of one eating breakfast behind my house as well. Kind of gory though.

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