I couldn't believe what I was seeing last summer as I drove up one of the busiest roads in the county. Could it be? It was! A bald eagle soared right over my car and swooped away into a small wooded park. Our hometown is very populated, and despite its proximity to a big river, eagles are not common here at all. Once back at home, I searched the internet for confirmation of my sighting. Surely someone else had seen the raptor and reported it? I could find nothing.
Several months later, I saw it again. This time I was driving on another busy road, and the eagle was right over my school. There's an eagle in the neighborhood! I told anyone who would listen, but try as I might, nobody else seemed to see our national bird.
Then yesterday, I stepped outside the school for a quick walk to clear my head. A couple a crows were making a terrible ruckus, fussing at something. Looking up, I saw a big wingspan heading our way. I froze on the small hill behind our building. The eagle flew right over me, white tail and and head clearly visible as it winged its way northwest of here. Back inside, I shared the sighting with a couple of colleagues, speculating as to where it could be nesting.
And at last today, my long-awaited affirmation. One of the friends I talked to yesterday burst into my room. "You have to go to this website!" she told me. "Right away!"
There they were! But even better? This resource was also cited. In addition to a current map of all the eagle nests in the state, it also has information on osprey, heron, and nightjars, as well as links to other tracking sites. It will definitely be a go-to for me the next time I glimpse a grand bird.
Several months later, I saw it again. This time I was driving on another busy road, and the eagle was right over my school. There's an eagle in the neighborhood! I told anyone who would listen, but try as I might, nobody else seemed to see our national bird.
Then yesterday, I stepped outside the school for a quick walk to clear my head. A couple a crows were making a terrible ruckus, fussing at something. Looking up, I saw a big wingspan heading our way. I froze on the small hill behind our building. The eagle flew right over me, white tail and and head clearly visible as it winged its way northwest of here. Back inside, I shared the sighting with a couple of colleagues, speculating as to where it could be nesting.
And at last today, my long-awaited affirmation. One of the friends I talked to yesterday burst into my room. "You have to go to this website!" she told me. "Right away!"
There they were! But even better? This resource was also cited. In addition to a current map of all the eagle nests in the state, it also has information on osprey, heron, and nightjars, as well as links to other tracking sites. It will definitely be a go-to for me the next time I glimpse a grand bird.
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