Tails Beneath the Moon

about 2 months ago

When I heard the crows, I looked up and saw that a couple of them were harassing an eagle perched on a tree. At first the eagle paid them no mind,

but then it spread its wings and flew to another branch.

I only had my Pixel 7 phone with me, and the eagles were high up on a hill. Because of the distance, I used the zoom function. I should not have used pinch-and-zoom because I believe it's better to use zoom through the interface controls. I have to test this systematically one of these days.

Something I like about eagles is that in spite of their large size and raptor-ous strength, they tend to mind their business. Yes, they're hunters and when hungry, they get very grabby. But they don't go around chirping all day, stealing your French fries, pecking you on the head, pooping on your new jacket, crowing at 4 in the morning, or repeating everything you say. The eagle is noble and stays up on its perch with quiet strength, keeping an eye on things without bothering anyone. It values its freedom and wants to keep it that way. At least that's how it seems to me. I don't live near their habitats. So, maybe they're rowdy neighbours who like to play music late at night, squawk loudly at all hours of the day, steal your prey, and harass your little dog. I don't know. They do look cool up there.

In 1967, the bald eagle was declared endangered because of the use of DDT, which caused reproductive failure, but thankfully their numbers have grown since then (Bird, 2016).

They like to live in forested areas near water. I took these photographs right beside the ocean, and the area where the eagles were perched was a thickly forested park. Bald eagles eat carrion and love to steal fish from osprey, apparently. Between March through September they'll lay a single brood of 1-3 eggs. Their wingspan is a whooping 2 meters.

From the Pocket Birds of Canada by David Bird (Ed), 2016.

Majestic birds!