Here in Northern Minnesota, we are used to many wildlife encounters that others dream of. Bald Eagles are one of those creatures. I recently saw some hub-bub over Bald Eagles gathering at a dam out in the Eastern states. Lots of people with very expensive equipment flocking to get a chance to see these magnificent birds. Bald Eagles are quite common here in Minnesota. One reason is the close proximity to the Upper Mississippi River. Bald Eagles gather there in great numbers during winter to make use of the plentiful food. Others tend to stay year-round. On Highway 71 north of Itasca State Park, south of Bemidji is a highly visible nest just along the roadway in a small stand of White Pines. Its an idyllic place, with a large pond and rolling fields and forests. The main food source for Bald Eagles during the winter is plentiful carrion, either hit by cars or simply killed by winter. It is pretty common to see one or more standing by a carcass on the side of the road. They also hunt mammals and waterfowl that over-winter here in open waters, as well as fish. Occasionally I see out of towners stopping to catch a glimpse of these birds. It seems unusual to them that they would be so close to a roadside, happily feeding on carrion next to Ravens, Crows and the winter Magpies. Ive remarked this behavior to others who are not familiar with Bald Eagles, and sometimes this opportunistic scavenging seems unusual or even untrue to them. I guess the mental image of a such a majestic icon of America with its head buried in a gut pile or stinking carcass is hard to bear.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:38:34 +0000
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