Not one but two!

I try to always make it a point to bring my camera with me. You just never know when you might find something picture worthy and today I found a birding jackpot!

While walking through my neighborhood, I spotted these two just relaxing in an old scrub pine tree.

Due to the hurricanes that come through a few years ago most of the large Scrub pine trees have been destroyed or just trimmed, making them great places for large birds to sit and perch.

I have seen many large birds in these same trees. It is good to see an eagle, but to see two together is a real treat.

Eagles are coming back from their near extinction from the use of harmful pesticides, particularly DTD. This chemical was running off into lakes, rivers and streams and entering the food chain at the lowest level and working it’s way into the eagle’s main food source. Fish.

With the eagle consuming large amounts of fish, the DTD made it’s way into the eagle’s bloodstream but not killing the eagle directly.

No not at all. It took a much more sinister route. It targeted the eagles eggs making the shells of the eggs so soft and weak that they cracked. Without the eggs protective shell, the embryos or chicks would die. What a way to wipe out a whole species, not killing it direct but by not allowing it to breed any longer.

The popular phrase, ” What came first the chicken or the egg?” was almost transformed into, ” What came last the eagle or the egg?”

Since the removal of DTD, Eagles have made a strong comeback and have been removed from the endangered species list!

While still not a common birding sight, I just happened to be lucky enough to find these two.

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