A Visitor on the Farm

[bejohnson]

This morning was exceptionally clear and cold with the temperature hitting -20°F this morning about 0400. When we got out into the barn area we found a bald eagle sitting where the heat from one of the vents could warm him up. I managed to grab this picture before he took flight and headed out over the fields looking for breakfast.

[egarrard]

I wonder if he'd have taken it if you had opened him a can of salmon.

[Saturn2888]

Wow. If only I lived there. A shot of it in flight would've been cool too. So did it flash and that's why the eagle disappeared?

[bejohnson]

Wow. If only I lived there. A shot of it in flight would've been cool too. So did it flash and that's why the eagle disappeared?

No flash. The sun was very bright and there was snow on the ground. Just the presence of people moving around will make large raptors like eagles take to the air. They are very wary birds and that is why we were surprised to find this one at the barn. I guess getting warm out weighed wariness.

The eagles start nesting in northern Iowa around the first of March and they build huge nest of sticks that can be 6 feet in diameter and 6 feet high. There have been nest that have weighed over a ton. The eagles are becoming much more common in northern Iowa and this bodes well for their recovery.

There are several large wetland areas in the region which allows the eagles to feed on the fish and waterfowl. The vast amount of corn and soybeans that are grown also breed many rodents and game birds which are food for many raptors including the eagles.

[Saturn2888]

Oh awesome. Well that's good that the "American Bird" will have a home so it doesn't go extinct. Really, Eagles are neat, but yes, very rare.