Golden Eagles

I’ve lived in the St.Croix valley all my life, all be it the widest part of the St.croix river. I was working on house last week at a house just across from the St.Croix Bluffs County park.
In the morning a huge eagle like raptor landed in a tree 75 ft from us in the tree line along the edge of the bluff line of trees while I was talking with the client. The raptor takes off from the perch and snags a tree branch just 50 ft a way then a second raptor gets flushed out of a tree I didn’t know was there. They both flew 2 ft above the water all the way to the MN side. Such a beautiful site on a calm sunny day at 7:30 am.
These 2 are confirmed as Golden eagles.
So, if you fish this area keep an out for them.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in person. They look a lot like an immature Bald Eagle. I’m pretty sure I would recognize an adult if I had seen one since they are so much bigger than a baldy.

We had one in a tree this early spring on Mille Lacs.
I believe it was a transient, since it is not at all common around here.

I had to ask the client what bird it was because it did have the likings of a immature Bald Eagle but with such a broader body. A retired sconie DNR that lives down stream confirmed a his own sighting. I always thought of them migrating the Chippewa flyaway or out west.
Shoot the whooping cranes migration flew over the valley this spring in numbers. Weird year. Happens now and again just like other areas through time.
SO, thankful I was there at the right time.

I wouldn’t know one if I saw it. I would assume immature baldy.

I think you would Mike. You would say to yourself, “WOW! That’s a big eagle!” That and bald eagles have a yellow beak where a golden has a black beak. If your close enough.

I’ve only seen one while anchored at the Y on P4. It was after a seagull in mid flight. It reminded me of a B-17 bomber trying to crash into a P-51 Mustang.

The golden would climb above the gull and then dive towards it (still using its wings) at the last second the gull would dart out of its way. Went on for around 10 minutes…I was rooting for the gull.

Have occasionally seen them up on Vermilion. Watched one come in low and too close to a baldy’s territory – and the baldy attacked. The golden looked 30% larger than that baldy when they were together in this mid-air battle. The baldy was so much more maneuverable it was no contest. The golden escaped by catching an updraft and circled higher and higher, hardly beating a wing, and apparently beyond the height at which the baldy would pursue. She went way, way up there! Far higher than any other rapture I’ve seen. It was one of those remarkable things you might see once in a lifetime.

I am pretty sure I have seen a couple in the Spring sitting in a field near the halfway crossing in Rice after they spread turkey crap in the field. There were probably 20 to 30 bald eagles and some significantly larger eagles without the white head. So I assume that is what they were. Not real close to the road so it was hard to tell.

I saw a golden eagle near Hubbard MN a few years ago. My son lives in Park Rapids and said they were becoming a common sight during the summer.

I took my brother in law out fishing a few years ago. There was a bald eagle sitting in a tree close to where we were fishing. Several times another bald eagle tried to take the perch that the other eagle was using. My BIL really loved bald eagles and wanted me to get close to see if he could get some video of the two bald eagles fighting over the perch. While he was getting some video out of nowhere another much bigger eagle showed up and joined the fight. It was at least a 1/3 bigger than the other bald eagles, one of which was a big mature bird itself. It didn’t take long to realize the bigger bird was a golden eagle. I had never seen one before and knew they were bigger than bald eagles but had no idea that they were this much bigger. The two bald eagles joined forces and still ended up loosing the perch to the golden. That golden Eagle sat on that perch all morning all proud of himself for winning that spot. he made no doubt of who the kind of that tree was !!!! Way cool to see

There’s a cool organization called Minnesota Ornithology Union. If you go to moumn.org you see recent rare sightings and report your eagles. Birders will “flock” to a hotspot to add a bird to their life list.

I’ve seen two Golden Eagles at Hawk Ridge in Duluth during the migration. They aren’t common but are interesting to see.

I have seen one golden in Minnesota a number of years ago.
Now in NW Nebraska that is a different story. Seen plenty out there while antelope or mule deer hunting.

There are a number of videos out there of a golden taking down an adult deer or antelope by themselves.

The Alma area has a confirmed breeding pair or two of Golden Eagles. Every once in a while, a Golden will be seen at Rochester’s Silver Lake. There are maybe more Goldens around than people think.

We saw at least one golden in the BWCA last week. It was a massive bird–the baldies paled in comparison. It was very cool to see.

We see them in the Afton area every winter near the open water. They are hard to tell from a distance but up close they will stand out. I can usually tell by the tail feathers and color pattern. I was never 100% till some people I have had out fishing took good photos of them. I believe one of James camera guy’s (nick cox) had them on film also.

The ducks, geese and swans react to them as well and seem to care less about bald eagles most days. So I assume they do some waterfowl hunts down there in the winter.

Very cool to see anywhere but right by home is even better.

I wonder how many house cats they nab? I know baldies sure like a fresh feline snack.

Just got back from NW Ontario. Saw plenty of eagles. One let us get right under him in a tree. Just gorgeous birds.