Avian Visitor

Meet Haliaeetus leucocephalus - the Bald Eagle.

The mottled plumage reveals this as a juvenile bird who will eventually develop the distinctive white head with a solid black-to-brown body at about 4-5 years of age. 

This is a large bird of prey and as an adult will have a wingspan of up to seven feet.  As a general rule they mate for life but will switch to a new partner if not successful at reproducing.  Their nests are ginormous platforms that are used again and again over a period of years and both the male and female incubate and tend to up to two fledglings a year.  

This bird dines on fish, ducks and road-kill.  The bald eagle can fly at 30 miles per hour and dive at up to 100 miles per hour.  Females are larger than males and they live up to 30 years in the wild.

This species was almost driven to extinction as a consequence of poisoning by DDT.  Following the ban of this insecticide in North America the bald eagle has made a remarkable recovery and we're seeing more an more of them on the peninsula with every year that goes by.

In 20 years this is only the third time I've captured an image of a bald eagle on a trail camera.  A spectacular winter sighting.

Yowza!