Tuesday 3-13-2007 from about 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Was preparing to go fishing at Green Hill Park in Salem, VA about 4:00 pm today at the very upper end of the park. Standing beside my vehicle about 50 feet from the river stringing up the rod. Something caught my attention and I looked up and noticed a big bird gliding right up the middle of the river at tree top level. Thought it was a vulture at first; but, as it got even with me the sun broke through and I could see it’s beautiful white head and white tail as it passed. Only the second or third time I’ve seen an eagle and never this close before. Had a digital camera in my pocket; but, didn’t have time to get it out before the bird had passed from view. Ran down to the river bank hoping it would land somewhere nearby upstream; but, it was out of sight when I got there. What a magnificent sight! Needless to say, eagle sightings are not all that common around here. 
They are, indeed, a beautiful sight to see. We now have two nesting pairs in our area!
Virginia has, at last count, more than 300 nesting pairs of bald eagles. Colorado has, according to the USFWS map I am starting at, 45. Curious, since I see eagles almost every day I fish. But then again we get a lot of wintering birds from up north.
Your state? http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Eagle/popula … ofprs.html
DG
Florida has about half the bald eagles in the country. Out back of my place in Naples.
Grn Mt man . You need to come up here for a visit.(British Columbia ) There are eagles in our sky every day. They are indeed a magnificent bird. We even have the much bigger golden eagles not as common but a truly awesome sight. Even the perigrene falcon is making a comeback locally.( Hard to spot in a dive of 200 mph )
You might get a tad miffed by the numerous osprey tho as they love to confiscate any the fish that gets on your line for their dinner as will the loons.
You don’t have to come as far as Canada tho because I saw several eagles on my trip to the Idaho fish in.
Yeah and when I lived in NJ, I talked to a member of the Audubon Society who actually admitted that he would not report a pair of nesting eagle to any authorities because he was afraid of them disturbing the birds. How much of that was truth or not at the time, I don’t know. Looking back, it wouldn’t surprise me. I wish I had known better at the time cause I would have reported it to NJ Fish and Game.
i saw about 5 while in Maine this past summer for a week, couldnt go without fishing of course, caight some mackeral and cooked them up, was delicious
I have been lucky enough to see them in several spots in PA: along the Brodhead Creek in Stroud Township, along the Delaware near the mouth of the Brodhead Creek and along the Susquehanna twixt Duncannon & Marysville.
An awsome sight for me since I grew up during the “they’re going to be extinct” years.
If you get a chance do some fishing along the North Platte river in Wyoming. Some friends and I have been doing an annual float trip for the last 4 years. We always see eagles.
Last year we saw over a dozen bald eagles, 3 golden eagles, grey and blue herons, brown pelicans and even a few moose.
One of the bald eagles flew in as close as 15 feet! A really great experiance.
I live in N.W. Washington where eagles and hawks are common. I still love to watch them tho. Something about watching a redtailed hawk hunting mice over a freshly cut wheat field will capture me. I often compete with a osprey in a local lake to see who will have the best day fishing. Fun to watch them hit the water that fast.I am just starting to tie my own flys and needed some feathers and was lucky enough to have a bald eagle eat his meal of pintail duck in a tree next to my moms house.
I work in DC for the USDA. I was walking out of the main AG buildings quite soon after 9/11 and noticed a mature bald eagle above with the Washington Monument as the backdrop…Boy, do I wish I had a camera!
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