I am not sure why the bottom feathers of this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were in such disarray when I spotted it this past Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Clearly something had ruffled its feathers, perhaps some mating activity. Spring is in the air and the eagles should soon be sitting on eggs in their nests.
The pandemic has turned our lives upside down this past year—there is something hopeful and reassuring about observing the inexorable movement in the seasonal cycles of nature. New life will soon be springing up all around us in the Northern Hemisphere with the arrival of spring. I can hardly contain my excitement.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
He might have wanted a few minutes to preen, Mike 😏
The steady course of nature is reassuring.
That’s a plausible explanation. It seems like most birds spend a lot of time keeping their feathers clean and adjusted.
Very nice Mike! Always fun to see your Eagle images!
Thanks, Reed.
This made me giggle. I don’t associate fully grown eagles with being fluffy, but you’re right.
I couldn’t figure out a title for the posting and settled on the one that I did because it sounded a bit absurd and comical. Your giggle, Susan, confirms to me that it was a good choice. 🙂
Nature is a beautiful thing to watch, Mike. So full of hope and joy! I share your sentiments. The Red-winged blackbirds, and Kildeer are “back hone!” Oh! The joy!
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Such a joy to see this clear, unobstructed view of an eagle!
Thanks, Liz. I was thrilled that it was perched in the open and did not immediately fly away. 🙂
I’m looking forward to the warmer weather, too. (But never the bugs, though!)
When I was wandering about on a warmish day, I was already seeing some gnats and a few flies. I was hoping I might see a butterfly too, since a couple of species overwinter as adults in a kind of hibernation. Unfortunately, I came up empty-handed. The only bugs that really bother me are ticks and biting flies.
Yeah, ticks are my nemesis!
I suspect that your conjecture is a very likely one. May there be more eggs soon.
So you think it might be a rumpled, post-coital moment? For shame!
I too am eagerly awaiting signs of spring and warmer weather. These past few days of rain have meant walking on the treadmill instead of in the park. I go no farther than the bird feeders, and sometimes not even that far. It’s as if my world has shrunk. I sometimes feel confused when I drive somewhere… getting around now takes concentration because it’s so rare.
The eagle was not smoking a cigarette, but I was only trying to interpret the signs. I am with you in the concentration required for driving these days. In the early days of the pandemic, the roads were clear on those rare moments when I drove. Now it seems like heavy traffic is back and I seem more easily irritated than when I was commuting regularly.
Love the idea of an eagle caught with a fluffy bottom!
Sometimes weird word combinations pop into my head when I try to describe my photos. Focusing attention on the eagle’s fluffy bottom was was a way of making at least a few readers smile and softening the eagle’s image of being fierce and intense.