Bald Eagles - adult, juvenile, in the nest and in flight

Adult Bald Eagle, soaring above its Richmond, B.C. nest.
White head, white tail, gold eyes, gold beak, dark brown body. © SB

After yesterday's post about Bald Eagles in the Qu'Appelle Valley, I decided to share a few images of young eagles.

I photographed the juvenile Bald Eagle in the tree below in the Qu'Appelle Valley. I was startled to see it sitting in dead branches right beside the road, looking out over the fields and creek.

And I wasn't at first sure what this juvenile eagle was — other than being a very large bird! I was used to seeing adult Bald Eagles from my time living in B.C., but I hadn't seen the young back then, with their mottled feathers and still-dark eyes and beak.

The other pictures of Bald Eagles on this page were taken in the Richmond, B.C., area, where eagles are fairly common birds. (The gigantic nest below is right above a popular bicycle and walking path, on the edge of a busy golf course. The eagles appear to re-use the nest annually, and are quite used to humans — though it's unfortunate that our garbage infiltrated their nest.)

Juvenile Bald Eagle in the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan.  Its feathers are very mottled,
and the beak is still mainly dark, though beginning to turn gold, as are its eyes.  © SB.

Pair of young Bald Eagles in their nest, Richmond, B.C.
(yes, that's a plastic garbage bag at left...)
Bald Eagles are very dark feathered when young, with dark beaks and eyes, too.
It takes about four years for them to get their full adult colouring. ©SB

The Bald Eagle nest, from greater distance 
for a different perspective on these massive birds.  © SB

Juvenile Bald Eagle in flight, in Richmond, B.C.
(This is the same young bird as in the shot below.) © SB 

Adult and juvenile Bald Eagle, along the highway near Richmond B.C.
There was a group of four in a field - two adults, and two juveniles. 
(A family group, perhaps?) 
The adults and the juveniles staged several (mock?) battles, flying furiously
at each other, and then calmly strutting together along the grass.  ©SB

What are these? Bald Eagles.  

Location: Near Craven, Saskatchewan, and in Richmond, B.C.
Photo dates: Adult flying, May 4, 2013; Qu'Appelle Valley, March 24, 2012; Nest, June 8, 2014; and Juvenile, flying and with adult, May 5, 2013.

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Spring with Bald Eagles in the Qu'Appelle Valley

Today, we saw four Bald Eagles in the Qu'Appelle Valley near Regina, Saskatchewan. One that soared over us was an adult — or near adult, as in a blurry close-up, it looks to have a few mottled feathers, white on the body and brown on the head. A darker juvenile Bald Eagle was circling with it. And, on the valley floor, two more Bald Eagles were walking on still-frozen parts of the creek, their white heads clearly visible from far away.

Top left, juvenile eagle in flight; top right, adult or near adult.
Bottom, the Qu'Appelle valley. Part of the creek at left was still frozen, and
that's were the other two Bald Eagles are - with several gulls and other birds.
(The eagles are the two black dots, to the right and below the two white dots/gulls.) ©SB

We were interested to see that the Bald Eagles were not the only birds on that part of the creek. There was also a goose, and a small flock of gulls.

And, while I've seen eagles before in the valley, I have never seen so many at one time. Are these heading north, on their spring migration, perhaps?


What are these? Bald Eagles.  

Location: Near Craven, Saskatchewan
Photo dates: April 02, 2016

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