Angus and bald eagles

[Hillscreek]

I just put my bald eagle avatar back. The eagles have returned to our lakes and mountains in the last ten years after having been wiped out for fifty years or more.

A special hacking program introduced youngsters and after a year or two they began to breed. Now there are numerous nests.

Angus has always been fascinated by them.

He watches their swooping flight. He does not bark at them like he does at the crows. He stares when he sees a pair on a leafless branch. We see them almost every time we walk out by the lake. What stunning birds and how wonderful to have them back.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Hillscreek

[sanford]

What stunning birds and how wonderful to have them back.

I agree!

 

Forgive this question, but are eagles ever a threat to small dogs, (cairns or smaller)?   

[Sam I Am]

That a question I wonder about also? I know even new born lambs in Scotland can get n trouble with some of these really large birds. Their wing span can go up to eight feet...that's one large tweetie!

My DH is always worried about letting Rosie go out at night and always goes out with her when she does her last potty. She weighs 18 pounds and we do have some very large horned owls in our area, plus also snowy owls. I chuckle a bit at my DHs concern but maybe he is correct! They might initially try but lift off I think would be a problem, but those talons are horrid weapons.

Ok so just googled... Yikes!

http://birding.about.com/od/birdingbasics/a/Protect-Pets-From-Birds-Of-Prey.htm

http://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/sea-eagles-attack-hoggs.22876981

Edited January 1, 2014 by Terrier lover

[kjwarnold]

Yes, the eagles are swooping down around our lake now and Kirby always lets us know when there's one nearby.  He faithfully mans his post on the back of the couch, watching out the window for intruding squirrels, ducks and large birds.  A couple of years ago when he alerted us that an eagle was near, we watched it swoop down and grab a fish just a few feet from the shore - very cool!  Of course, Kirby went completely nuts at that!

[Islander]

Here on the west coast we are fortunate to have many many resident bald eagles. It's always a good omen for us to see them swooping overhead. I have heard stories of them seizing small dogs, but these may be apocryphal... I think the dog would have to be particularly vulnerable. Eagles are actually more scavengers than hunters, and they prefer their prey already dead.

Right now they are feeding on the salmon that have swum up the Goldstream River to spawn and die. We went hiking there last Saturday and made the mistake of going down to the river to try to see them feeding, as we could hear their very distinctive cries.

We forgot that the remnants of their feasting were lying all over the riverbanks - rotting stinky salmon - can you imagine what Gus thought of that? He was just going for the full body roll when he was chased off, snatched and leashed!!

[Hillscreek]

The bald eagles mainly eat fish. We have watched them scoop up a catch. Awesome. I do not worry about Angus and the eagles but we have red tailed hawks also which attack small animals and killed one of my neighbors cats.  Angus is 16 and a half pounds. I do not let him out alone just in case. 

Main predators as far as Angus goes are coyotes and bobcats. He'd make a good snack for them!

[hheldorfer]

Love the eagle photo.  Not to be cavalier about it, but I'd think that an eagle would fly away from a Cairn the second he heard the Cairn Death Screech.

 

I've been a fan of the Decorah Eagles (Iowa) on Ustream for several years.  We've also started seeing them around here again, southwest of Chicago.  DH has seen several near the dog park, which is in a forest preserve along a river.  

 

We have hawks in our neighborhood and I've seen them going after squirrels, rabbits and other birds.  They've never shown an interest in the dogs but I keep a close eye on them just in case.  

[_whits_]

We had a massive wild hawk at my parent's place that took out a number of neighborhood dogs. My grandfather raised hawks and they were fierce and unafraid hunters. I hated when the hawk at my parents would perch on the phone poll and just stare at Addie, much like Addie stares at rats.

 

My dad sent me a story recently of a JRT being attacked by an owl. 

[Lupinegirl]

Congrats on the eagles! They are beautiful and so much fun to watch.

I don't think they would be a threat to a Cairn, but I have had a red tailed hawk land in a tree right by Nikki and stare at him. I think the hawk was just curious about him as he didn't stick around long, but I sure kept an eagle eye on him. I was holding Nikki's leash and i told that hawk to take his tail feathers somewhere else.

I worried about Nikki back when he was a ten pound puppy but Nikki is twenty nine pounds now and he's built like a corgi (short legs and a long back). I think my terrier torpedo would be to much for that hawk to get a grip on. I'd still never let my boy out on his own, though. We do have coyotes, and Nikki was attacked by a neighbor's German Shepherd without provocation. I don't trust any critter around my boy unless it's on a leash. Even the squirrels are a little crazy around here. One jumped out of a bush right at me before zipping around behind me and taking off for the woods. That was a surprise!

[dodgestail]

We had few encounters with swooping eagles and it is always fun. That's surely so much fun having them in your place. Just always keep safe and away from predators and threats.