Eagle Chasing Ducks

In 1995 I spent my first remote Alaskan winter cabin sitting an antique bootleggers cabin located at the head of Kachemak Bay. This was my 5th year in Alaska, as a life long naturalist I was anxious to spend a lot of time watching birds and other wildlife, and recording what I saw. There was indeed a lot to see, especially the overwhelming population of Northern Mallards. The first few weeks were spent trying to count the numbers mallards, using a high powered spotting scope. One particular stormy winter day I sat at the rustic parlor table situated at the window facing the low tide mud flats of the head of Kachemak Bay. I counted ducks. I saw some commotion near the edge of the flock closest to the waters edge. To my surprise I saw an adult Bald Eagle chasing ducks with the grace of their swift falcon cousins. I watched as the eagle actually struck a duck knocking it to the mud flats below. That event caused me to look at the bird book to read the habits of our Bald Eagle, nowhere do the text state eagles bird hunting. On the contrary the habits described the behavior of a scavenger. That day I began paying more attention to the eagles. Over the years since becoming a permanent long time resident of Homer -Kachemak Bay I have observed eagles hunting Sea birds, Ducks and Gulls.