The Beauty of a Bald Eagle

My husband and I visited the Salmon River Falls early in July and were amazed to see a Bald Eagle's Nest. We saw a couple heads pop up on our way by the first time and on our return home. I know my father enjoys birds too so one day, Dad and I went for a drive.

The nest is huge. I took this first picture to show the size of the nest in comparison to the pole it's stationed on, on Route 13 outside of Pulaski, New York. Once Dad and I arrived, we parked on a side road and kept our distance after reading a few facts on the Bald Eagle, if you'd like to learn more, click here.

While watching the nest, I visited the Internet via my phone and read some of the information on the DEC Fact Sheet and about New York State's Bald Eagle Program. One of the first things we realized, we didn't choose a prime movement time to see the parents bring food yet we still sat for about thirty minutes watching the babies. It was a nice time spent visiting with my Dad and learning about the birds we were watching at the same time.

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I used my zoom to capture some closer pictures, keeping a safe distance. We didn't want to spook the babies or their mother. The amount of traffic speeding by just below them didn't seem to bother them until a larger dump truck revved its engine, this made their feathers flutter.

​An article on LIVESCIENCE tells, "Bald eagles are large birds of prey native to North America. Since 1782, the bald eagle has been the United States' national emblem and mascot. The bald eagle isn't actually bald; it gets its name because its white head against its dark brown body makes it seem bald from a distance." Read Entire Article Here It's an interesting read.

I've always wondered why the Bald Eagle was our national emblem and mascot, I found an informative article on the American Bald Eagle:
"The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent.
   On the backs of our gold coins, the silver dollar, the half dollar and the quarter, we see an eagle with outspread wings. 
   On the Great Seal of the United States and in many places which are exponents of our nation's authority we see the same emblem.
   The eagle represents freedom. Living as he does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary grandeur of Nature, he has unlimited freedom, whether with strong pinions he sweeps into the valleys below, or upward into the boundless spaces beyond."
To read the entire article, click here.

The author of the first article debates if the Bald Eagle is the correct bird for our mascot yet the second article offers the reasons it was selected in 1782. Regardless of where you stand on the appropriateness of its selection, I find it to be a beautiful bird and feel blessed to have experienced watching these four babies for a time. I also was twice blessed by the conversation with my Dad as we sat, watched, and took pictures (from a safe distance using the zoom lense).

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Have you ever seen a Bald Eagle up close?
​If so, where...