I got out earlier than normal this Saturday morning and it with no sun it was actually pretty chilly. I wore my winter hat -maybe for the last time this season. Though March is traditionally the snowiest month in Minnesota, we've not seen a single flake. In addition, our temps are expected to hit 70ยบ this week! On the north side I've been noticing more and more grey, fuzzy pussy willows.
The rest of the path was quiet and boring and at some point I changed my route to dispose of a large plastic bag stuck in the cattails. Upon returning to the path I noticed an enormous bird perched up in some birch trees. I realized immediately it had to be an Eagle as he had to be about 3 feet tall! With the distance and overcast light I had a hard time determining if he was a Bald Eagle. Instead of a bright white head he had a mixture of brown and white. His breast was also a mixture of brown and white and overall he just looked rough. As I watched for a while, a second Eagle came hovering over like he was looking for a place to land.
Some crows chased the flying one off but the other continued to just sit there. Two other walkers came up to me and suggested that maybe it was a juvenile, as it sometimes takes 4-5 years for Bald Eagles to fully develop their coloring. I've also read that Eagles will molt in order to replace feathers which could also give them this rough appearance. I'm really not sure about this one but my first thought is that he was awfully big for a juvenile.
I got out earlier than normal this Saturday morning and it with no sun it was actually pretty chilly. I wore my winter hat -maybe for the last time this season. Though March is traditionally the snowiest month in Minnesota, we've not seen a single flake. In addition, our temps are expected to hit 70ยบ this week! On the north side I've been noticing more and more grey, fuzzy pussy willows. 
The rest of the path was quiet and boring and at some point I changed my route to dispose of a large plastic bag stuck in the cattails. Upon returning to the path I noticed an enormous bird perched up in some birch trees. I realized immediately it had to be an Eagle as he had to be about 3 feet tall! With the distance and overcast light I had a hard time determining if he was a Bald Eagle. Instead of a bright white head he had a mixture of brown and white. His breast was also a mixture of brown and white and overall he just looked rough. As I watched for a while, a second Eagle came hovering over like he was looking for a place to land. 
Some crows chased the flying one off but the other continued to just sit there. Two other walkers came up to me and suggested that maybe it was a juvenile, as it sometimes takes 4-5 years for Bald Eagles to fully develop their coloring. I've also read that Eagles will molt in order to replace feathers which could also give them this rough appearance. I'm really not sure about this one but my first thought is that he was awfully big for a juvenile.
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