As I rounded a curve in a trail on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I saw a flash of white at ground level further down the trail. My eyes immediately registered the fact that it was a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), but my mind seemed to have trouble processing the presence of an eagle in this incongruous location. What was it doing there?
The second and third images suggest that I inadvertently interrupted the eagle as it was consuming its breakfast. I cannot identify the eagle’s prey, but it does not look like a fish to me. If you click on the images you can get a closer look at the remains of the prey and maybe you can tell what it is/was. Perhaps it was one of the many ducks that I could see on the waters of the bay that is visible through the vegetation.
As you can tell from the final photo, the eagle took off as soon as it sensed my presence, taking with it the remains of his meal. I never get tired of visiting this wildlife refuge as often as I can. There is an old adage that insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, so some might consider me to be a little crazy. The truth, however, is that each wildlife encounter is a unique combination of environmental factors and subject behavior, so each time there are new possibilities and opportunities to capture views of nature’s endless diversity.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice Mike! The more you visit a place the more you have opportunities for your photography! Birds, animals and landscapes are always changing so there is always an opportunity for getting some Great images! Plus the added benefit of being out un the fresh air!
Good points, Reed. My area has lots of great wildlife locations, but some of them are way too busy for my comfort, so I tend to concentrate on some of the more remote ones.
Wow, a heart thumping encounter, Mike, and great captures! You did well to get any images — repeated experience with these startling interactions pays off as you reflexively respond.
Thanks, Ellen. As a fellow photographer, I think that you can really appreciate my feelings and reactions when this situation was thrust upon me. I was really thrilled that I managed to get the shots that I did. This was another case of reactive photography–there was no time to think about what I was doing.
I don’t think that you see this often….
I don’t see this very often, but some friends on Facebook say that is not uncommon for eagles to scavenge for their food, including at some county landfill sites.
Nice, clear shots–I’d agree with your duck guess as a reasonable one, or possibly a grouse.
Thanks, Gary. Given the location, a duck would be a more likely candidate, I think.
Tremendous! I almost wrecked the car yesterday. Driving near our new neighborhood I saw a large form. Thought turkey vulture until I spotted that which head yellow beak! Flew off as soon as I pulled over. Took my breath away 🙂