Curiouser and curiouser: Eagle-Watching and Seeing Out the Old Year

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon watching eagles at Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in northern Maryland.

We saw at least 10 distinct individuals, although with some of them flying around a bit, it was rather hard to keep track. Apparently on some days, as many as 250 individuals are seen at the dam.

This pair was hanging out close to the dam itself, perhaps hoping the gates would be opened, producing perfect fish-feasting conditions for them.

Here's the dam itself, the largest in the state of Maryland. Route 1 passes over the top of it. When construction was completed in 1928, it was the second-largest in terms of power output, after only Niagara falls. The dam now produces over half of Maryland's renewable energy, powering about165,000 homes on average. If Maryland's power grid were ever to go out, the dam would also serve as the power source for a "black start" to get the rest of the grid online.

The dam has, however, changed the local ecology considerably: preventing migratory fish from swimming upstream, trapping sediments behind the dam, and attracting dozens of resident and hundreds of migratory bald eagles (as well as herons, gulls, vultures, and more). Happily, the congregation of birds at least provides a lovely attraction for visitors. Many of the eagles perch and nest in the pylons that carry electricity away from the dam.

Although we are, of course, used to seeing the distinctive white heads of mature bald eagles, juveniles tend to be mostly brown with variable white patches.

Vultures are also extremely common at the dam.

This sign seems laughable, but I have it on good authority that your car may indeed need a thorough washing after parking by the dam!

The eagle shape, however, is still rather distinctive. Can you pick the eagle out from the vultures below?

Many of the eagles we saw were at a bit of distance, like these two on the opposite shore of the river (and thus in the next county over...something that some birders care about). I could only just make them out, even with my telephoto lens.

But this one was perched in the trees on our side of the river, just above a walking path (part of the Mason-Dixon Trail). This was my first glimpse, an angle I'm not particularly used to seeing eagles from.

After some careful repositioning, I got a slightly clearer shot.

From the other side, the eagle was holding a rather striking pose, but the branches proved a challenge.

Have you ever heard a bald eagle call? They're shockingly loud, carrying clearly across the water, but also surprisingly high-pitched for such a large bird. We heard this one several times before locating it, perched on this lovely sycamore on a small island in the middle of the river.

Eventually we turned around to head back to the parking lot for tea and then the drive home. Just after we walked past the nearby eagle, it took flight:

And (we think) resettled ahead of us again, helpfully in a slightly less obscured position (although finding the window through all the branches was still a challenge!).

Just as we were sharing out the tea, chocolate, and pecans amongst us, I noticed the eagles on the nearest pylon. I think they were mating! Bald eagles are pair-bonded and copulate throughout the year, not only to maximize fertility, but also to maintain their bond.