Daily Nature Fix: An American Icon - Live and Up Close. (Original Photos)

Good afternoon Steemit community and fellow nature buffs.  Today's daily nature fix is about one of the most famous and recognizable birds in the world: The Bald Eagle. Bald eagles' range covers most of north america and I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where a few of them dwell.  (Central Pennsylvania).  Still, it's super exciting when you happen to spot one.  These photos, however, were taken at a place where almost half of the world's bald eagle population calls "home": Alaska.

^^^Juneau, AK.

     We were on a whale watching tour (which I'll post photos of on a future DNF blog!) and about a mile off shore when we came upon a buoy with a pile of seals hanging out on the base of it.  I was so stoked about the seals that I didn't even notice a gorgeous eagle perched on the stop!  When I was about to take a photo of her, she took off.  I snapped a billion pictures of her flying and got lucky with one or two... including the one above.  What was even more lucky, was that she just circled a few times, looking for some fish I presume, and then came back to her perch on the buoy where I snapped a few more photos.

^^^Cooling the jets after flight.

       What awesome birds!  Bald eagles' wing span can reach up to 8 feet across.  I think about that every time I'm around a sheet of plywood or drywall.  It would have been a tragedy to lose such an animal.  The population hit rock bottom in the 1950's after years of using the pesticide DDT ,which caused their egg shells to become so thin that they couldn't support the weight of the brooding parents. There were only 400 nesting pairs left in the continental U.S..  Today, the population has grown to around 70,000 and in 2007 they were removed form the endangered species list.  Eagles eat fish quite a bit, but they also scavenge carrion, or steal kills from other animals.  Interesting fact: because of that thieving habit, Ben Frankling argued against making the bird our national symbol.

      Thanks for reading.  I post a nature-themed Daily Nature Fix blog every day, so make sure you follow me to see them all! 

***Daily Nature Fix is a daily blog showcasing the natural world.  It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels.***