Hi tweets,

I have been following snipits of the Bald Eagle vs. Gull thread and I
thought I would share an observation of a young bald eagle hunting an adult
Glaucous-winged Gull.

The gull was on its own and was on an airport runway. The young eagle made
many advances diving at the gull and the gull made feeble attempts to fly
away. I watched this for some time, it was evident that the gull had an
injury or was sick. Eventually the young baldie, landed next to the gull
and chased it 'on foot' until it had grasped it. The gull was doomed,
however as I intruded by approaching the runway (they had disappeared from
sight, and I just had to see)the baldie attempted to fly off with its catch,
despite the fact that the gull was still alive. I did not think the eagle
would ever leave the ground, it flew off with great difficulty and remained
very close to the ground until it flew out of sight down another runway. By
the time I was able to get within sight of the eagle and its prey, the eagle
was well on its way to dismembering the gull. (what was i doing chasing
birds on an airport runway?, I will never tell!)

I have seen eagles harass gulls in flight and I have seen the reverse.
However, this was the first time I had seen an eagle carry out the threat.


At 03:17 AM 12/16/97 PST, you wrote:
>** Janet wrote -
>
>> Bald eagles definitely eat gulls. <snip>
>
>Indeed. The summer of 1978 at the south end of the Queen Charlotte Islands,
>we spent many an hour with the scope turned on a Glaucous-winged Gull nest
>a bit off the south end of St. James Island. We had a great time watching the
>chicks hatch, grow and just about fledge. Unfortunately, the eagles had been
>waiting for them to fatten up enough for them to get a decent return on the
>energy expended in nabbing them. It took all of two passes for all three chicks
>to be gobbled up. Interestingly, the pair which had born this brood were the
>latest nesters that year - the next year they were one of the first.
>
> - Jack
>
>
>Jack Bowling
>Prince George, BC
>jbowling at direct.ca
>
>