What did I see?

jd · #1 10-18-2009, 09:42 AM

Are there eagles around here? This morning I saw a bird that was too large to be a hawk and I think had a white tail. It was flying high over the water behind One Seagrove Place so it was hard to tell it's color for sure. I could tell the shape of the head and it looked like an eagle!

seagrovegirl · #2 10-18-2009, 09:52 AM

Yes, we have Eagles here! Last year a pair of Eagles made their flight path over my house every afternoon. Their nesting area is the Choctawhatchee River. They are an amazing sight.

30A Skunkape · #3 10-18-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd

Are there eagles around here? This morning I saw a bird that was too large to be a hawk and I think had a white tail. It was flying high over the water behind One Seagrove Place so it was hard to tell it's color for sure. I could tell the shape of the head and it looked like an eagle!

Probably an osprey, but I have seen a Bald Eagle near Draper Lake once.

YouTube - Osprey and its catch of the day

kurt · #4 10-18-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd

Are there eagles around here? This morning I saw a bird that was too large to be a hawk and I think had a white tail. It was flying high over the water behind One Seagrove Place so it was hard to tell it's color for sure. I could tell the shape of the head and it looked like an eagle!

Yes, but on the beach, most likely an Osprey.

sunspotbaby · #5 10-18-2009, 10:02 AM

It could definitely be an eagle. Ospry look very similar too i believe and kites. You can tell a kite because it has a v-shape tail feather. Aren't the birds here awesome!

Smiling JOe · #6 10-18-2009, 12:33 PM

what they said. Typically see the Eagles around the Bay, not the Gulf, though you could have seen one. Osprey are much more common sights around the Lakes, and sometimes around the Gulf.

jd · #7 10-18-2009, 06:35 PM

Ok, after watching the video, I think I saw an Osprey. I'm familiar with them, but it looked larger so I thought maybe an Eagle. Thanks for the info and cool photo and video!!!

jjnole04 · #8 10-19-2009, 02:22 AM

At around 10:30 ish and therafter a very large migration of broad winged hawks flew over, I saw over 50 in just a half an hour or so. They were riding the north wind off the beach headed inland where they would catch a thermal, soar really high then head towards the south. Very interesting, this went down in the vacinity of Gulf Trace and Grayton Beach. As a side note there were also 2 juvenile bald eagles near little redfish.

Hop · #9 10-19-2009, 07:07 AM

For all of you bird watchers...this is a cool site and a great program to be a part of. South Walton Montessori has participated for the last 3 years.

Great Backyard Bird Count — Great Backyard Bird Count

Smiling JOe · #10 10-19-2009, 10:30 AM

I've never heard of Hawks flying in flocks like that. Personally, I've never seen more than two at the same time, and they don't migrate. I'm wondering if you may have seen a flock of Pelicans, which are fairly common for our area.

jjnole04 · #11 10-19-2009, 11:58 AM

hmm yeah maybe except they had the plumage, size, vocalizations, behaviour, and shape of a broad winged hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
you can also find information about their migration on that site

TreeFrog · #12 10-20-2009, 09:01 AM

It's more common to confuse Ospreys with gulls than with eagles. Their size and plumage are somewhat similar to gulls.

Two years ago, there was an eagle hanging out about this time of year in the Deer Lake area.