Official Cool Picture - Video Thread.

[Lunyfringe]

One of the favorite foods of the bald eagle is seagull chicks. Hundreds of seagulls nested at the shipyard I used to worked at in Washington, and they would go into a frenzy and attack an eagle relentlessly trying to chase it away when one appeared. If we saw an eagle coming, we would run for cover, for that usually meant white rain.

Bald Eagles seem completely different in Alaska... I grew up wondering why they called them endangered, saw dozens every weekend on the boat... then there was the Homer Eagle Lady...
She made things like this possible:

 

[easy rider]

Bald Eagles seem completely different in Alaska... I grew up wondering why they called them endangered, saw dozens every weekend on the boat... then there was the Homer Eagle Lady...
She made things like this possible:
View attachment 145009

They were endangered in the 70's due to the heavy use of DDT, it softened the egg shells to where the eagle nesting would often crush them.

 

[Lunyfringe]

They were endangered in the 70's due to the heavy use of DDT, it softened the egg shells to where the eagle nesting would often crush them.

That's the thing... DDT was only used in specific areas in Alaska... so Alaska population of Bald Eagles didn't really drop, at least in the Kenai penensula

 

[easy rider]

That's the thing... DDT was only used in specific areas in Alaska... so Alaska population of Bald Eagles didn't really drop, at least in the Kenai penensula

Since the 80's the bald eagle population, and other birds of prey, have made what many have said is a complete comeback. Even in Washington and Oregon they are spotted quite frequently. On the east coast I believe it took awhile longer. The funny thing is, the east coast bald eagle only grows to about half the size of those on the west coast.

 

[Dad_Roman]

There is a few at Fairfield State Park. See em occasionally.

 

[Lunyfringe]

Since the 80's the bald eagle population, and other birds of prey, have made what many have said is a complete comeback. Even in Washington and Oregon they are spotted quite frequently. On the east coast I believe it took awhile longer. The funny thing is, the east coast bald eagle only grows to about half the size of those on the west coast.

I was on the boat in the '80s.. from '81-'88... and I don't recall there being any efforts to restore the Bald Eagle populations of Alaska when I lived there... there were actually programs to REMOVE Bald Eagles from Alaska to replenish populations in the lower 48. DDT was banned in 1972, before there was a lot of development in Alaska (the pipeline construction didn't start until 1975 after protracted legal challenges by environmental groups)

More than half of the world's total bald eagle population lives in Alaska, followed by British Columbia. Estimates indicate that Alaska is home to 70,000 eagles, with another 20,000 in British Columbia.

source: https://animals.mom.me/worlds-largest-bald-eagle-population-11698.html

Much of the data and fundraising to restore Bald Eagle populations ignored the population in Alaska, for fear that it would minimize the problem.
The front page of the AEF even has a bar graph with a title ending "in the lower 48 States": https://www.eagles.org/what-we-do/e...gles/bald-eagle-decline-recovery/#toggle-id-4
It was a VERY real problem in the lower 48.. but there was so much wide open space in Alaska that any DDT use didn't have significant impact on population there... There was also concern that DDT was so persistent (didn't break down) that it would spread to Alaska- but I'm not aware of it ever reaching dangerous levels. But maybe this all belonged in the "tell us something we didn't know" thread

 

[FireInTheWire]

View attachment 144994

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That is just blowing my mind man....

 

[Texasgordo]

WWII vet returns to Omaha Beach

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[IXLR8]

View attachment 144634

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What aircraft is that flying over the stern??

 

[Dad_Roman]

What aircraft is that flying over the stern??

Good eye.....stealth drone.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

My office for 9 years, the Army should have NEVER closed this post!

 

[DD130]

Since the 80's the bald eagle population, and other birds of prey, have made what many have said is a complete comeback. Even in Washington and Oregon they are spotted quite frequently. On the east coast I believe it took awhile longer. The funny thing is, the east coast bald eagle only grows to about half the size of those on the west coast.

When I used to live near Seattle, I'd see multiple bald eagles daily. Gorgeous birds, one of about 3 things I miss about being there.. he other 999,997 things they can keep.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

When I used to live near Seattle, I'd see multiple bald eagles daily. Gorgeous birds, one of about 3 things I miss about being there.. he other 999,997 things they can keep.

Lived there for 1 year to the day, loved every day of it, but happiness was seeing it in my rear view mirror

 

[DubiousDan]

Male jacana.

View attachment 144989

I wondered what those things were hanging out of it. Found out they were the feet of newly hatched chicks.

 

[DD130]

Lived there for 1 year to the day, loved every day of it, but happiness was seeing it in my rear view mirror

On the 13 good days a year.. it was a phenomenal place to live. 13 years there were 12.5 too many for this Seattle native.

 

[easy rider]

On the 13 good days a year.. it was a phenomenal place to live. 13 years there were 12.5 too many for this Seattle native.

Although I will say it does rain a lot, the summers were usually beautiful. There are many places that get more rain in inches, most don't have 2 mountain ranges to hold the drizzle clouds in place. My main peeve is that too many Californians migrated north.

 

[Texan-in-Training]

 

[DD130]

Although I will say it does rain a lot, the summers were usually beautiful. There are many places that get more rain in inches, most don't have 2 mountain ranges to hold the drizzle clouds in place.

The rain didn't bother me much, even as a motorcycle rider... but the overcast / gray was too much for me... even when it get's overcast here I suffer a bit. Can you have weather PTSD?

The fishing was awesome! Just 2 miles from our house, I could put in the boat and limit out on Dungenous crab in 10min., or spend and hour or so trolling for kings and silvers. Nothing sushi on the transom!

My main peeve is that too many Californians migrated north.

Yeap, they are like a cancer; eating everything they infect from the inside out.

 

[Sock Puppet]

Can you have weather PTSD?

Up north it's called "Seasonal Affective Disorder". Light therapy can help.

 

[easy rider]

The rain didn't bother me much, even as a motorcycle rider... but the overcast / gray was too much for me... even when it get's overcast here I suffer a bit. Can you have weather PTSD?

The fishing was awesome! Just 2 miles from our house, I could put in the boat and limit out on Dungenous crab in 10min., or spend and hour or so trolling for kings and silvers. Nothing sushi on the transom!



Yeap, they are like a cancer; eating everything they infect from the inside out.

That's the main reason Seattle is the suicide capital of the U.S., not enough sunshine.