Bald Eagle at White Rock Lake

[Wayne Cherry]

This morning at 8:36 as I was watching gulls on the spillway, they scattered. A Bald Eagle, 4th year I believe, flew over and out over the lake, then landed on the north side of the hatchery. I left the lake about 11:00 after driving around to the sailboat place but did not see him again. After 35 years, this is the first eagle I have seen in Dallas County.

Also, just across the paved path on the south side of the hatchery, I got into a flock of several Brown Creepers, several Golden-crowned Warblers, a pair of Northern Flickers and at least one Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Wayne Cherry

[jpeter]

Originally Posted by Wayne Cherry

This morning at 8:36 as I was watching gulls on several Golden-crowned Warblers...

Let's see how many people grab their binoculars for that one.

I think I've had one report of a Bald Eagle at WRL a few days after a Christmas Count by Brian Gibbons ... maybe 2000-2001 or somewhere in there. Before that - the 1980s and 1990s - I'm not sure there are any good documented records.

Count data prior to the 80's is pretty spotty, but the Dallas Christmas count has more sightings during that era as you might expect.

[Amateur J R]

I photographed a bird I first thought was an Osprey on January 27, but upon your report of seeing a Bald Eagle, one of my readers suggested I reconsider my I.D of photos at

http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/The_...09.html#yeegle

(It's a big page and may take awhile to load all those bird pix.)

I looked at my books again, and I believe it is a Bald Eagle, probably the same you saw Monday, which means it's been here at least a week.

I photographed an Osprey about a week before that, and they look distinctly different.

I am, as my journal title proclaims, an Amateur Birder, just been at it for three years, and my I.Ds are sometimes off. I'd like a "pro" birder's opinion before I get too excited.

Are my photos of a Bald Eagle?

Thanks. This is my first post. Didn't realize till tonight that I could.

; j r

[betsy]

Originally Posted by Amateur J R

(It's a big page and may take awhile to load all those bird pix.)

; j r

It takes a long time even on a high speed connection. For those with dial-up connections or limited time/patience, here are links to a couple of the photos themselves:

http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/The_...y-JR0_9444.jpg

http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/The_...e-JR0_9447.jpg

http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/The_...e-JR0_9448.jpg

[jpeter]

Very nice.

Amateur J. R., would you mind if I used on your picture on my website? Naturally, you'll get full credit.

The website is in my signature.

Jim Peterson

[Amateur J R]

Betsy,

Please do not link directly to images on my Amateur Birder's Journal. That takes them out of context, and I'd prefer to present them in full image-with-text context.

For potential viewers with short viewing time or low patience, please link to my new, quick-loading Bald Eagle-only page at

http://www.JRCompton.com/photos/The_...BaldEagle.html

which contains the entire context and ALL the pictures I shot during that 14-second span of Bald Eagle photographing on the cold afternoon of January 27, 2009.

Thank you,

J R Compton

[betsy]

JR,

We appreciate your providing an abbreviated version of the page, containing only the Bald Eagle info -- it makes it possible (time-wise) for those with dial-up connections to see the relevant section.

I see that you are not particularly familiar with the customary method of requesting IDs on bird forums. Generally speaking, ID requestors embed the photos in the post itself, along with whatever information is considered helpful in making the ID. It's considered a courtesy to the people whose time you are requesting.

We're glad to learn that the eagle was around for at least a week and to see documentary photos of it.

btw, we hope you'll agree to jpeter's request to allow a copy of one of your eagle photos to appear on his website. Jim Peterson keeps the records of occurrences of all bird species in the North Central Texas region in checklist form, and has a special page which is kind of a clearing house for extraordinary regional sightings, with photos, here, which birders are accustomed to contributing to and checking:
http://www.nctexasbirds.com/sightframe.htm
I'm sure he'd be willing to include a link back to the Bald Eagle page you just made for the benefit of those who would like to see the complete set of photos with your commentary.

Betsy

[Amateur J R]

Betsy,

I photographed the eagle that I thought was an Osprey for my Amateur Birder's Journal, and those photos had been up for more than a week before I learned that Wayne Cherry had seen a Bald Eagle that looked a lot like it.

I only yesterday realized what I had was not an Osprey and only today joined this chat.

Since no one here had posted photos of it, I thought you all might like to see the quick sequence I'd published previously. So I linked you to my journal.

As for using my photographs on other sites, I handle that on a case by case basis. I often exhibit my images as art, and I still sometimes sell them to raise money for new photographic equipment, so I am very careful who gets to use them for free and how they are used.

AmJR

[betsy]

Originally Posted by Amateur J R

... my I.Ds are sometimes off. I'd like a "pro" birder's opinion before I get too excited.

Are my photos of a Bald Eagle?

; j r

Originally Posted by Amateur J R

I only yesterday realized what I had was not an Osprey and only today joined this chat.

Since no one here had posted photos of it, I thought you all might like to see the quick sequence I'd published previously. So I linked you to my journal.

; j r

Hmm.

[Sandy]

I took a slow cruise around White Rock Lake about sunset on Saturday and alas did not see the Eagle anywhere. I got out of my car around Winfrey Point and did some walking and no luck. Has anyone seen him/her in the last several days?