Our intention was to go fishing. Well, our daughter and the two girls would fish, my husband, my mother-in-law, baby Owen and I would watch, chat and enjoy the time outside together. Of course I had my camera with me to document our time at this new-to-us fishing hole.
Black Pond is close to home and a stone’s throw from Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward Island. The fishing spot along the bank is a few feet from the parking lot. We settled in quickly and baited hooks for the girls who competed for the first fish.
There was something at the end of the pond and I was eager to see what it was. Birds I hoped. When I checked with the camera, surprise! Dead wood! Of course birds would not have been visible from this distance.
Within ten minutes a huge bird flew directly overhead and down the pond. It had a white underbody and a huge fish in its talons. An eagle! I captured a poor photo but it gives the idea of the immensity of the fish and the bird which carried it.
It landed on the wood at the end of the pond. The photos which follow were taken via the digital zoom of my camera so they are not sharp. They do show the story of bald eagles having an early supper however.
The eagle sat on a stump, holding the sea bass beneath it with its talons. Periodically it raised its wings as to balance itself.
It picked at the the fish for several minutes then gave its best call, just audible from our location.
Within a few minutes another eagle appeared from south of the pond and landed on a stump near the first one.
It proceeded to eat the bass which the other eagle had caught and used its wings to balance as well.
It dropped the fish several times and had difficulty keeping its balance on the stump.
Then it decided to leave with the fish, possibly to go to the nest. However, first it had to challenge the other bird
before it flew off with the remains of the bass.
The bird stayed for a short time, then flew to the same area as the previous eagle.
This was a once in a lifetime chance to watch the bald eagles in their element. It was quite a fishing trip though the humans didn’t catch any fish.