In the early 1970's I was pheasant hunting with friends on the Madison
ranch on Butter Creek south of Hermiston, Oregon. As we crossed a small
field of good cover, pheasants were rising regularly (most hens). A
Golden Eagle came from behind us and hit a flying hen pheasant just in
front of our line, but when the eagle looped and tried to grap it's prey,
the pheasant managed to run and then fly and escape. It was still a
magic moment.

The Bald Eagles that winter along this part of the Columbia River appear
to subsist primarily on ducks and coots, the weak and injured I suppose,
which they dive at repeatedly (near shore) until they exhaust them and
finally catch and drag, one way or another, to shore and then usually fly
to a tree to dine.

Still, it's like Eugene said, they are birds of opportunity. The
Red-tailed Hawks around here have to watch their backs.

Dennis K Rockwell, Kennewick, Washington denniskrockwell at juno.com

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