-+Bald+Eagles

May 12, 2009 San juan Islands Whale watching trip

My Marine Biology class went on a whale watching trip through the San Juan Islands and since we did not see any whales i took the advantage of the beautiful oceanic view and nature that occured. One being the Bald Eagles. There were so many that lived up in the high lands of trees with new born babies and pre-mature babies that are only a couple months old not meaning in the wome still. These Bald Eagles are a protected all around the United States as being for their symbolic nature to our nations dollar bills, coins, etc.. The Bald Eagle is also known as the Sea Eagle it has two sub species. One pair species close to the Bald Eagle is the White Tailed Eagle known in Canada and Alsaka. The eagles love to be near the ocean so they have high nesting grounds and an endless amount of food supply. These birds are birds of prey they are very large being about 28-42in in lenght and a wingspan of 6ft or more, weighing about 6.6-15 pounds, females are much larger than the males in this birds case. Being so there colors of the body dark brown, white head, curved beak, yellow feet, and yellow eyes. The babies are all brown except for there feet which are yellow. They mature at about 4 weeks then it's up to them between the next 70-92 days they will leave the nest and go out adventuring on thier own. Bald eagles do mate for life they have 3 babies both mother and father taking turns incubating the eggs until they are hatched. Their average lifespan is 20 years of age and the oldest recorded was 30 years old in the wild and 50 years in capativity. Now for their diet the eagles will eat anything from fish, scavage carcuses from whales that have died. They like to eat salmon and spawing trout in the winter they rely largely on carrion, rabbots, hares, raccoons, muskrats, beavers, sea otters and deer fawns. Bald Eagles are an indangerd species in North America we have many in captivity. It is a huge felony to kill a Bald Eagle and you will and can be fined thousands of dollars and put in jail for doing so. In 1992 there was only 20,000-30,000 bald eagles to be known living in the United States and throughout Canada & British Columbia. These Beautiful birds of prey are amazing smart creatures who should be protected and be able to live on in this world fore many years to come. I loved seeing so many babies and pairs of bald eagles with there nests waiting for next spring to come to experiance the new life that is bound to come for the future.

By Aubrie