Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 01:52 PM PST

Yesterday when Tom and I were out shopping, I noticed a very big bird flying low in the sky to my left and I bent down in my seat to see what it was. It wasn't a crow...or anything else easily identifiable. My first thought was, "Is that a Bald Eagle?" My second thought was, "Naw...that would be too kewl!"

Well, it flew right over the car, and not that far above us and I could plainly see that it was a Bald Eagle. It was beautiful. Glorious. Spectacular. I watched it in awe for a few seconds until it was out of sight.

The last time I saw one of these majestic birds was on a field trip with one of my children - and that was many, many years ago, in NY. It may seem strange to write about a bird on a petblog mostly about dogs and cats, but sometimes one has to share experiences. This experience was the highlight not only of my day (far beyond the 'shopping' expedition), it is, so far, the highlight of our moving to Colorado, after being nearer family, of course.

One doesn't see an American Bald Eagle every day.

According to American Bald Eagle Info, the Department of the Interior removed this bird from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, in 2007. Still protected by the Migratory American-Bald-Eagle Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, we can be assured that our National bird is safe from extinction. While found across the U.S., apparently about half of the 70,000 birds live in Alaska, where they feed on salmon. I did not do an extensive search to see how many might be here in CO, mainly because I assume one bird sighting means there are more, and it's not important in the greater scheme of my life to know how many Bald Eagles live in my immediate area.

However, I did find a fascinating website that sells American Eagle products such as jewelry, books, CDs and more. Even T-shirts. There are a lot of amazing pictures on this site, and even a link to videos. Very kewl, if you ask me.

I stand officially as a fan of the American Bald Eagle, and of wolves. Of course, I could go into my fondness for horses, too, but I won't.

I hope I see the eagle again, sometime. It was a sight to behold. For sure.