Is there any possibility that I just saw a juvenile Golden Eagle soaring east of my house around 1:45 this afternoon. It was high enough that I needed binocs to definitely make out field marks, but I got a good couple minutes of watching with them. Got good views from underneath and a bit of a view of head and neck when it banked. It was headed to the south roughly along the shore of Lake Washington when I lost sight of it.

My first impression without binocs was juv BAEA but not quite, or maybe Red-tail Hawk, but not quite.

So with binocs.
From underneath
-Pale windows on underside of wings.
-White strip at base of tail.
-Flash of red-gold on neck
-Dark belly

When banking.
-Gorgeous red-gold head/nape
-White strip at base of tail

Nothing matched either BAEA or RTH, even though I was looking for those familiar field marks. I just kept thinking that this was a bird I'd never seen before.

I realize that Goldens are rare on this side of the mountains and am almost embarrassed to imagine that I might have seen one. Any thoughts from the experts out there? I'm open to anything.

Catherine Alexander
Lakewood Neighborhood
South Seattle