birdwatching on a winter drive
Yesterday we went for a drive along the Saint John River. As the snow disappears from the fields along the river, eagles and hawks sit in the trees to catch a glimpse of possible prey. Sure enough, as we approached the Jemseg Bridge, we saw a male Bald Eagle, looking twice his normal size due to fluffing of feathers against the cold (-4 degrees Celsius). Since Bald Eagles live an average of 20 years, this may be a bird we have seen many times in our drives along the river.
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I missed a good photo the first pass, so we retraced our route between the Gagetown and Jemseg bridges and were rewarded when the first Bald Eagle was joined by a large juvenile.
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As we watched him, he prepared for flight, either perturbed at us for pulling over or at the other eagle for moving into his tree. At last he took off and settled in another old tree just along the road.
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These are magnificent birds, often overlooked in our area since there are large numbers living in the vicinity of our landfill and at various places along the river.
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Copyright 2018 Jane Tims
nichepoetryandprose 
We have large numbers of them here, too, but I still feel thrilled to see or hear them. 🙂
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Robin
February 24, 2018 at 6:07 pm
The populations of birds seem to cycle, somewhat at the mercy of the effects of humans. I think of the Osprey, once endangered and now with a strong come-back. I am happy to see the Bald Eagle doing well and celebrate every time I see one. Jane
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jane tims
February 26, 2018 at 7:53 am