We were at our favorite getaway cottage just off the Piankatank River when Nancy saw, “A big bird”
“It keeps flying over,” she said.
I went to inspect, and it was a bald eagle, and he flew to a tree not 20 feet from our porch. I have seen numerous eagles in my time, often on fishing trips to rivers or lakes, but I had never been this close to such a magnificent raptor.
They are big, about the size of a wild turkey hen. Their wingspans approach 8 feet and they can weigh up to 14 pounds. Our eagle friend sat perched on a branch, scanning the horizon, then he was off to another tree. I figured he was hungry and looking for something to eat, but his choices were limited. There are not many fish swimming on or near the surface this time of year. In fact, the shallows in front of our cottage were covered with ice.
But I remembered. Speckled trout often swim to the surface in extreme cold and they may have been the intended target for our eagle neighbor.
I was impressed not only by the size of our friend, but the brilliant, snowy white head and tail.
Eagles were once a threatened species, but no longer. They are now plentiful in Virginia. One of the world’s largest raptors, eagles can reach altitudes over 10,000 feet. Their eyesight is keen, more than 8 times stronger than that of a human. Their talons have a grip strength of 400 pounds per square inch. They can reach speeds approaching 100miles per hour when they dive. They mate for life and can live up to 30 years in the wild. We watched him in awe for three days. What a spectacular bird.
