Watching at Violette's Lock this afternoon I observed an adult Bald Eagle swimming in the river off Riley's Lock. At first I though it had a large fish, but it soon became obvious that it was trapped. Its wings were free and it would rise up out of the water, but its legs were caught by something and it could not break free. I drove up to Riley's for a better look. (15 minutes lost.) From there I could see it was entangled in monofilament, and now the wings were not clearing the water, although it was slowly breaststroking to shore through the Star Watergrass. Because it was moving so slowly, I  think it was actually dragging some obstruction along the bottom, that it was connected to by the fishing line. I went to the nearby kayak instructors and showed two of the them the eagle through my scope. One of them went to collect his kayak (15 more minutes lost.) By now only the eagle's head was above water as it worked towards shore. It was a few hundred yards upstream from Riley's lock. I ran up the towpath with my wire cutters, while the kayaker paddled upriver. I was hoping I could wade out and cut whatever it was dragging. The river is mostly less that chest deep here. As we were leaving the lock the eagle went under, and when we got up to the approximate area (10 more minutes lost) it was down for good and could not be found. I think as it left the watergrass strip it encountered the deeper water nearer shore and whatever it was dragging pulled it under. Or maybe it was just exhausted. I walked the entire shore for 3/4 mile upstream but could not see it, and the kayaker circled in the watergrass with no luck either. At this point we were not sure exactly where it had gone down. So next time I will know to move much quicker,  although realistically, at least two people in a boat would have been needed, AND it would have taken many minutes for me to wade out to it. I was glad I had not wasted time calling the N.P.S., as there was no way they would have responded int time. Thanks to the young man with a kayak who was willing to try.

A few years ago I reported watching canoeists discover the fresh corpse of an adult Bald in the watergrass. I wonder if it met with the same sort of accident.

I spend each summer walking the Potomac riverbanks, looking at dragonflies. I have picked up at least a thousand feet of monofilament. I Imagine there must be thousands of MILES of the stuff in the river. I have twice seen Great Blue Herons hopelessly entangled in the stuff.

Eight Shovelers had joined the Woodies in the watergrass this afternoon.

Lovin the 21st century,
Dave Cz