As I have gotten older, I have rediscovered the joy of taking naps. When I was a child, I seem to recall rebelling a bit against the idea of a forced midday nap, but now I look forward to them. Sunday afternoon naps have become part of my routine and now that I have retired, I sometimes indulge myself without waiting for the weekend.
Several of the Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that I spotted on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge seemed to share my fondness for napping. In the first shot below, the Bald Eagle looked like it was just settling in for a long winter’s nap. The eagle’s head is bowed forward in the familiar position that I used during my recent transatlantic flights when drifting off to sleep. I am mildly amused by the fluffiness of the head feathers on this “bald” eagle—the head feathers remind me of the wigs worn by British barristers.
The second image shows a Bald Eagle couple. The male eagle, the smaller one to the left, appears to be alert, but his female partner seems to be asleep. Female eagles are larger than their male counterparts, but this female has magnified that size differential by a rather extreme fluffing of her feathers. (I am assuming that eagles tighten their talons while napping, so that any sudden movements while asleep do not not dislodge them from their perches.)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great photos, Mike. She does look a little extra fluffy.
Nice Eagle images Mike! She looks even bigger fluffed out!
I often wonder how a bird, eagle or otherwise, can sleep perched like that without falling off. You’d think their talons would relax while snoozing. Of course, it is their nature to keep a firm grip but it still amazes me. I think they fluff up to add some warmth?
I am pretty sure that fluffing up the feathers helps the birds to keep warm. We are not as cold here as up there in New England, but the lows the last few days have been in the low 20’s.
Great pic! Even birds need naps sometimes. 🙂