Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an Eagle Fishing

Eagle Fishing-5904.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

For the first time ever at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area, I saw a raptor snag a fish from Lake Marsden. I was watching four river otters working their way across the lake for about 20 minutes when this eagle slowed up and briefly hovered. I knew what was going to happen because I have experience watching eagles fish.

It isn't rare that I see eagles in the area. Usually the osprey will chase them off but not today. The osprey were content with the fish they've been pulling out of Turtle Lake. For years, I've watched the osprey fly over to Turtle Lake for fish but never have I seen one pull a fish from Lake Marsden. I had no idea there were fish that big in there.

Here is a slideshow of the sequence of events. I had to crop them quite a bit but I'm more interested in documenting the event than selling fine art of this bird.



I also saw:  two osprey, a juvenile bald eagle, four river otters, a red-tailed hawk, a pair of northern harrier, lots of ducks and geese, chickadees, a northern cardinal, song sparrow, downy woodpecker, two white-tailed deer, an American crow, red-winged blackbirds, a great blue heron and a pair of great egrets.