Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 20:43:35 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: John Staples Subject: Charles County - Pomonkey Creek MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT This evening between 5:30 and 6:30 Carrie and I were observing a local pair of adult Bald Eagles. The tree they like to perch on is 800 feet from the end of our dock. Tonight we watched the female (deemed so by us based on size) drop from her perch to the water as if to snatch up a fish and carry it off to eat, only to have her squat there on the water looking like a giant sea gull. She acted like she might take a bath, but then she started to SWIM using her wings (as Carrie said "the breast stroke") about 20 or 30 yards to a large log about 18 inches above water level. Her swimming was quite impressive. Many strokes involved the extension of the wings to their full spread. As she got to it, she made a leap and flap onto the log and revealed a very large Golden Carp held in both claws. This Carp was a monster, as big as the biggest I saw spawning in our pond in the spring. She ate with enthusiasm, working about ten minutes until she gurgled to her boyfriend who was watching from above. Immediately, he floated down to the fish and took over, while she flew 30 feet away to wash her feet and have a drink. Deer and eagles swim. Do pigs fly? John & Carrie Staples Staples@direcway.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================