Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
A Journey to See the Bald Eagles of the Skagit River
It was fitting that we should travel north to the Skagit River yesterday to see the bald eagles that come to feed on the salmon. No rain was in the forecast and the drive itself is marvelous with views of the jagged North Cascades, also known as the American Alps.
We stopped at various viewpoints along the river, too late to see the eagles feeding but not too late to find them roosting in the trees above. (We’ll come earlier next year, we always say.)
We had to look carefully to find them; one of the first was a female all dressed in brown.
But many males were spotted too, their beautiful white heads standing out against the trees.
See the strength and determination in their eyes. Or is it anger?
A symbol of the United States of America.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Fabulous pictures.
Thank you so much. 🙂
Lovely photos, Susanne. I doubt such a magnificent bird as your Bald Eagle feels ‘anger’. It is probably just hungry.
Best wishes, Pete.
I was projecting my own feelings onto the bald eagle as a symbol of our country. A bit of poetic license. 🙂
Okay, I get that now. 🙂
I was slow on the uptake!
No problem! We’re still suffering from the events of earlier this week and I couldn’t resist seeing the bald eagle in a particular light.
Beautiful photos – at a shameful time in our history.
Thanks John. The eagles are so majestic and I couldn’t help noting the symbolism. I love how determined, even angry they look.
They look angry to me too. Hang in there❤️
Thank you. We’ll get through it! 🙂
We certainly will. We are stronger than we know.
Such beautiful, proud animals ❤
Yes, so majestic!
Stunning photos!
Thank you so much!
My pleasure.
I didn’t know the north Cascades were known as the American Alps, how fitting and so gorgeous, Susanne. I love the female, she is stunning. Wonderful captures, looks like a great place to see our US symbol!
Thanks so much Terri! 🙂 It’s a beautiful area; we were just outside of the national park. The further up the road you go the more dramatic are the views of the mountains. I loved seeing the female too. I was able to get more detail as she was on our side of the river closer than the others. Next year we’ll try to get there earlier in the day when they are actively feeding.
Wonderful images. Did you see any evidence of prior nests?
Thank you. Honestly I was so busy looking for eagles in the trees I wasn’t thinking of prior nests. There probably were as there are eagles here year-round. But a great influx arrives from the north – as far away as Alaska – from November to February as they come to feed on the salmon, one of the largest concentrations in the continental U.S.
I just read that eagles have displaced a number of herons that used to be in a huge rookery on Ross Island across from our old home. Maybe they are after the salmon run still happening in the Willamette.
Fabulous eagle shots!! The best eagle sighting I’ve had out here in the PNW was when we visited a friend who lived in Whidbey Island. She took us to Coopeville and we saw a bunch of them hanging around a field that was being mowed, they were scooping up the mice. I got some good pictures and video that day. We’ve seen a few along the River here in Yakima.
There’s nothing like seeing bald eagles in the wild. We’re lucky to have a lot of them in Washington.
Superb photos so lovely to see the bald eagles.
Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed them.