While driving from camp to camp, gathering garbage and used linens yesterday morning, I saw what I believe to be an immature bald eagle in a dead tree down by the swamp and got out to take a couple of quick pictures.
Eagles never look particularly happy about anything but this one seemed especially grumpy. It didn’t take long to figure out why.
It can’t be easy, trying to get a little rest with robins bouncing off the back of your head.
The View from Fish in a Barrel Pond 
Hey Quill, nice photos! (Love the commentary also.)
Thanks! It was quick, so I guess they’re really snapshots, but it was cool to see. Two minutes later I remembered I have video capability …
Glad you liked the commentary. I hate to go on and on and on like that.
Hi Ken;
Dick and I saw that eagle Tuesday evening, up at the inlet to the right-hand cove while fishing in the rain. It was sitting in a tree on the right bank. At first I thought owl, then it wasn’t the right shape, and it was way too big to be an osprey. I decided it was an immature bald eagle. It sat on a limb in a tall pine for over a half hour while we fished there. At one point as Dick was untangling his leader and neglecting the trolling motor, we drifted right underneath it. Sixty feet away in the tree. It was really neat! Sorry I forgot to tell you yesterday morning when I left the camp.
Thanks for sharing your photos!
The loons have a very specific call they use when an eagle is around and I’ve been hearing it but not seeing the eagle. If this is the same bird, it first showed up two weeks ago. Just a kid, looking for an easy meal, I suppose.
It’s okay that you forgot to tell me. Probably not the only thing forgotten this week! I think I have a hat that belongs to you; I’ll drop you an email about it.
I’ll have to talk to Dick about this leader thing and allowing our guests to drift aimlessly beneath eagles.
Wadda ya mean aimlessly-that was a stealth approach, man!
ARRGH!!! Yeah, right Wollybugah! you’ve been chopping your leaders and jamming up my props for years. When you’re putzing around with leaders and lines and tying on flys – shut the motor off and drift for a few minutws!!!!
Is it just me, or do guys who fish together a lot end up sounding like old married couples?
Lucky you Ken! I have been following the Decorah Eagle cam the past couple of years. It is a 24/7 live link to an eagles nest. I have watched the eagles go from eggs to fledglings. It is amazing.
Hello, Anonymous! I’ve seen the Decorah eagles and their nest cam is indeed pretty cool. Now all I need is to know who you really are, but I think I have a good guess …
I saw a pair of robins chase a chipmunk. They had it under a truck, then under my suv.
Chipmunks eat eggs and baby birds. So do skwerls.
Sometimes I have that same look. Usually it’s when the children are bouncing off my head.
One regret I have regarding not having children is that I will never know how it feels to have them bouncing off my head.
You can borrow mine.
As a kid in Chicago I assumed I would never see an eagle. They were almost extinct then. Now I see them floating over the river down from my house all the time. During the winter up to a dozen. I’m barely 50 miles from Chicago. Who’d a thunk it.
Who’d a thunk it indeed! They are scroungers, opportunists and thieves but I’m glad we didn’t lose them.
An adult bald eagle has been making twice-daily passes over the pond this week, probably looking for a tender little loon chick. I read that eagles are the main predator of loon chicks, which is interesting because at most there might be 70 loon chicks in the whole state. Our loons have abandoned two nests this year, so no chick(s) for us this year. Yet.