Bald Eagle: adult and subadult

February 1, 2013 in Nearby Landbirds

Another morning alongside the Merrimack scanning for Bald Eagles when suddenly an adult Bald Eagle comes cruisng along heading west.  I fumble quickly to grab the camera and fire away as it flies right overhead.  A few minutes later it is joined by a subadult.  The subadult circles, then preapres to land on a nearby branch.  In landing mode, the subadult stretches out its legs and feet and later the discovery is made of a leg band on the subadult.  The leg band was not able to be identified other than in a general way.  According to Tom French at MassWildlife “this is probably one of the adults from the nest in Methuen just upstream of Lawrence, but it could also be one of the adults from the Haverhill nest a short distance downstream.” 

More photos of adult and subadult posted: http://www.pbase.com/birdshots/image/148582976