Homer...Eagles, etc.

We heard there were moose and other wildlife to be seen early in the morning out on East Hill Road.  This road climbs a ridge north of Homer, with great views of Homer and the mountains surrounding Kachemak Bay. We got up early the day after our trip to Ninilchik to see if we could find any wildlife.  We struck out on the wildlife, but the view of Homer and the bay was terrific.

 

On the way into Homer we saw this Mallard floating near the road on Beluga Bay.  It seemed comfortable with our taking photos close up. 

Ducks are often skittish. This one ignored us.

This is my favorite bird.  This Alaska Air National Guard C-130 practiced landings most of the day at Homer's airport.

  

Nearby we found a Bald Eagle's nest.

  

Of course a Bald Eagle isn't really bald.  One of the characteristics of this great bird is a head of white hair.  The name "Bald" is derived from piebald, used to describe an animal with unpigmented hair.

 

The size of bald eagles varies by location, with the largest found in Alaska.  Weighing up to 17 pounds, the female weighs 15% more than the male.   Their extra weight and feathers are used to keep their chicks warm.

As with most raptors, the female is dominant.  Although they usually mate for life, if the pair doesn't produce any eggs after three years, the female may look for another mate.

Bald Eagles have 7,000 feathers, and can lift up to four pounds in weight.

Their nest is used for many years.  Each year the adults will add to it.  Overtime, the nest can grow to eight feet wide and may weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.

While they produce from one to three eggs, it is unusual for all three chicks to survive.

 

This young chick is exercising what one day will be a set of wings.

 Although his wings are beginning to develop, he is still a few weeks away from his first flight.

  

One of the two chicks we observed looked very frail.

Young eagles have insatiable appetites.  They add a pound of weight every four or five days.

The female eagle aggressively protect their young against predators, but may not step in if one chick kills its sibling.

 
In the 1950's the Bald Eagle was close to extinction.  The principle threat came from DDT, which interfered with calcium metabolism.  The eagles were not able to lay healthy eggs with shells strong enough to withstand the weight of the brooding adult.  Bald Eagles were taken off the endangered list in 2007. Close to half of the world's Bald Eagle population are found in Alaska. 

The following day we spent an afternoon on the Beluga Slough, near our RV park.  On our way to the slough we found Two Sisters Bakery.  A great place to stop in for a latte or a chai and pastry.

At the slough the head of a Sandhill Crane popped up near us.

 

We saw three pairs of Sandhill Cranes.  One pair was quite close to us, with a juvenile in tow.

 

In the winter adult cranes are largely grey in color. The cranes we saw in the slough were covered in reddish brown feathers.  It was explained to us that during the spring and summer months they preen themselves in the mud, which has a high iron content.  This provides the change in color which rubs off by the time the cranes head south in the fall.

Also in the slough we saw a family of Northern Pintails.

Belted Kingfishers are common up here. This was the first we had seen.

As a fitting end to our two afternoons on the slough, Whimbrels flew overhead.

 
 
 After a great six days in Homer, we are headed for Kenai and Soldotna.

Comments

[Russ Steele]

Awesome pictures of the eagles! How close were you when these shots were taken? I know you have long lenses, but these pictures like like close ups.

[Jo Ann Reband]

This is a photo journey - a feast for the eyes. Thanks for letting us ride along.

[Fred]

I used a 600mm lens for the eagle photos, taken from across the street from the nest. I also used the 600 for the photos taken at the Beluga Slough, but the birds were much further away.

[Chris K]

Thanks for all the information. I lived in Homer for about 15 years and never saw as much as you have. I guess I was not looking. This is a great blog!!!!