Golden Eagle at Marie Curtis Park / November 8, 2019

We all saw an enormous dark-coloured bird high in the sky being harassed by two crows (average length about 45 cms and wingspan about 100 cms) who were obviously much smaller. It most definitely was not a Turkey Vulture. The only other option is a Golden Eagle (average length about 76 cms and wingspan about 200 cms) winging its way south.

Unfortunately those of us with cameras were unable to photograph the bird in the few seconds in which it appeared.

Here are images from various on-line sites:

photo: National Audubon Society
photo: Cornell Lab. of Ornithology
photo: E.bird
photo: allaboutbirds.com

Golden Eagles are rare but widespread in open country relatively far from people, especially mountainous areas.

Species list:  Canada goose, mallard, American black duck, red-breasted merganser, golden eagle, Cooper’s hawk, ring-billed gull, downy woodpecker, American crow, black-capped chickadee, ruby-crowned kinglet, American robin, hermit thrush, house sparrow, northern cardinal, American goldfinch. (16 species)

House Sparrows (female)
Canada Goose
Hermit Thrush
Ring-billed Gull
Downy Woodpecker (male)
American Robin

Park scenes on this -2 degree sunny morning:

Some botany:

HWitch-hazel (hamamelis virginiana)
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Red Maple (Acer rubra)
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)
Highbush-cranberry (Viburnum opulus)

This morning’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Ruffling the colors of the forest leaves,
The winds make music as they come and go.     – John Critchley Prince (1808–66)

Miles Hearn

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