Eagles in our Midst

This young eagle has been spotted along Little River in West Gloucester several times recently. It’s often in the company of a banded adult. You may remember I have been calling these two Fred and Ethel. The one you see here is perhaps around 3.5 years old as determined by its plumage coloration and other indicators. Eagles of this age are sometimes called sub adults.

I have followed a number of eagles over the years and have noticed that they seem to have their own personalities, which shouldn’t be surprising. The adult of this pair (Fred, though I don’t know if it’s a male) seems particularly skittish. It doesn’t seem to sit for very long in one place. This younger one (Ethel though I don’t know if it’s a female) is more likely to “sit and stay awhile” so I appreciated the opportunity to watch and observe for a while recently. We are very blessed here to have eagles in our midst. I understand they are predators and can cause some issues for neighbors, but overall it’s a true blessing.