December Guest

I’ve been waiting and waiting to see this guy…

Every winter, when the ponds in the Adirondacks freeze over,  a bald eagle moves into our neighborhood.  We first spotted him on New Year’s Eve two winters ago, in this very same tree along the shore of Lake Champlain, near a state park close to our house. 

A few days before Christmas, I was sprawled out on the couch reading (ahh…vacation…), and I looked out the window while a big bird was flying past over the water.  A really big bird.  With a white head and white tail.

“Eagle!”  I jumped up, scared the dickens out of the family, and ran to the porch.  We could tell the bird was a bald eagle and guessed by the direction he was flying that he was headed to his old favorite perch.  Sure enough, when we drove by the park on the way to visit family the day after Christmas, there he was in the tallest tree. 

If past years are any indication, he’ll be our neighbor for a few weeks, until Lake Champlain freezes over, and then he’ll move on.  For now, we’re awestruck and thankful for this New Year’s tradition that’s flown into our lives.

18 Replies on “December Guest

  1. Lucky you! We had a bald eagle nesting in Philadelphia last year, but they refused to publicize the location of the nest for fear of disturbance. We’ve had falcons nesting on top of at least one of the high-rises.

  2. Beautiful!

    My Grammy in Western Mass (Greenfield) watching the “eagle channel” on her local cable station. It’s a live camera view of a nest across the river.

    Wish I could see an eagle. For now I’m stuck with turkey vultures.

  3. I can imagine a bald eagle in the Philly area having quite a fan club – it’s probably in his best interest that they kept his location a secret.

  4. Well, turkey vultures are nice, too…just a bit misunderstood. Plus, you have plenty of other birds in your neighborhood. I love watching the wood storks when I go to visit my parents in Florida.

  5. How totally marvelous.

    One year, my mother saw one on Ocracoke Island in NC. In the summer. It must’ve gotten blown out in a storm.

    It seemed really dazed, and she went to check on it, stopping 12 feet from her. It looked her in the eye and said (and I quote), “peep.” Turns out they don’t have appropriately noble voices. Heh. I wish I could see one in the open, but we only have hawks and owls ’round about here.