During winter, a small fish – gizzard shad – an eagle favorite, is affected by the cold weather. They swim erratically and close to the surface, making them an easy target for eagles. If one eagle has a shad, other eagles have been seen trying to take the fish away. Yesterday, I showed pictures of a young eagle snacking. That bird had placed itself between two other adult eagles and one of them didn’t take well to more competition for the prized shad.
It flew off its perch from about two hundred yards away and zeroed in on the young eagle. You’ll have to take my word for it because I only have one camera and I could only track one of the birds, but at this point the other eagle had taken off.
Whenever I see an animal rollover and expose their belly, I see it as an act of submission. Maybe this is a celebration, but the younger eagle rolled over, they locked talons, and then it flew away.
While the eagle that drove it off then landed in a tree…
and continued to watch…
the river and me.
Until it flew back to its original perch – though it didn’t stay there for long.
nice photos