[burley]

Had a visitor in the back yard today;

 

[jwash3rd]

Is that a bald eagle? I see a few of them in the Rock River valley here in IL during the winter. Lots of them down by the Mississippi.

 

[burley]

Wish I knew for sure. When looking at young birds in a change of plumage it can be hard to tell. Pic is just too fuzzy but he does seem to have a rather large head and it is white. Redtails heads are a bit more dark, round and this was a very large bird. Saw him again yesterday but further off. Will keep the camera close and try again. There is an established eagle community about 20 mile east of here  :-/

 

[theduke]

It is funny just living outside Philadelphia, there is a nesting pair just inside the city limits and several nesting sites within a 1/2 hour drive. Saw one a few years ago carrying a squirrel over a residential area, and saw one while fishing in the Delaware river.

 

[marcussho]

Looks like a juvinile bald eagle. similar to the one that was in our yard eating a deer. sorry for the proof txt it's on my wifes website.

 

[burley]

Back again yesterday morning but I couldn't get dig zoom to work  >
I'll try to borrow a better cam for the weekend an see if I can get a pic to show more detail...

 

[illogicalmethod]

Isn't it when the best opportunities come, that murphy's law kicks in?

I'd also be inclined to tentatively say that's a bald eagle, but it's hard to tell for sure.

We have lots of different hawks and eagles in PA and when it gets warmer, I'm going to go birding sooner or later.

I'll try and start with the hawks/eagles that live right up the road from me and move from there.

For now, reposting a link to the video of the bald eagle I caught on camera, while I was fishing in Northern Ontario.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3cODvUUrtQ[/ame]

 

[burley]

Not sure this is the same bird, head is much darker, looking again the pattern on back looks the same :-/ Must have been a RT > this one looks to be a juvenile red-tail hawk
Shot this pic with my phone thru a spotting scope at about 250-300 yards;

first bird pic for reference;