Earlier this week, had a wonderful chance to see Bald Eagles along the Merrimack in North Andover. they tend to perch along the river this time of year, up until the start of breeding season. Most often, the Bald Eagles, both adults and sub-adults are seen on the east side of Rt. 495 on the border of Lawrence and North Andover.
After scanning for Bald Eagles in every known location, came up totally empty. After taking a look at the local peregrines, was just ready to head off, when a large soaring bird caught my attention. Behold, it was an adult Bald Eagle rising in a circular motion with wings outstretched….a beautiful sight! The adult Bald Eagle continued making circular loops and and headed off to the west.
Moments later, another large soaring bird came into view and it turned out to be a juvenile Bald Eagle. Same circular soaring motion with wings outstretched….WOW! Both birds were relaxed and taking their time working their way westward under cloudy skies and strong NE winds blowing at almost 20MPH. The juvenile had a dark belly and underneath, whitish wing pits, and varying amounts of white on the underwings. The two inner-most primaries are translucent in the backlighting.
From a distance, nice looks at an adult pair of Bald Eagles this morning perched together overlooking the Merrimack River in North Andover. The eagle on the left has both a silver federal leg band and a possible orange state leg band, but too distant for any positive ID of leg bands.
