The eagles have landed

[oddlycalm]

Last week my wife rushed into the house with wide eyes to announce there was a pair of bald eagles perched on a limb in our front yard. When I opened the front door there they were, glaring at me from around 30ft. away big as life. Not sure if they were here investigating nesting sites in the tall fir trees or just considering a bit of population control for the neighborhood pets.

Since then there have been eagle incidents reported all over town. One flew into the side of a house stunning itself in the process and scaring the tar out of the people living there. Another large male was raising hell and screeching bloody murder after it got injured in a fight with another eagle. It was captured (with considerable effort) and is being treated and released to fight another day.

Down at the beach the situation is more complicated. Sea birds that nested by the hundreds of thousands on offshore rock islands have been totally driven away by feeding eagles on the North Oregon coast. This is different behavior than when eagles were previously around in large numbers so it's a bit of an unwelcome surprise. When it comes to eagles vs common murres my money is on the eagles every time so I'm guessing the murres will move on or die out.

I lived around eagles in a canyon in southeastern Oregon one summer back in the early 70's and they don't make for quiet and calm neighbors. If you manage to get anywhere near what they consider their zone they hover 20ft. over your head and go into screeching banshee freakout mode.

Should be interesting. The well accepted theory about them being shy and avoiding populated areas seems to have been a bit wide of the mark. :gomer:

oc

[Methanolandbrats]

When I see an Eagle I wonder what they would taste like grilled. They are just rats with wings and Ben Franklin was right, the national bird should have been the turkey, a brave bird that will kick your ass if you try to walk past them during mating season. http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle9.html

[Ankf00]

raptor > flightless bird

[Methanolandbrats]

raptor > flightless bird I know who I'm betting on if an eagle goes head to head with a turkey. :D

[SteveH]

I know who I'm betting on if an eagle goes head to head with a turkey. :D

So do I ;)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/2435635184_68e6ef1b8d.jpg?v=0

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/X7pkke-dUro/0.jpg

[Methanolandbrats]

:rofl:

[oddlycalm]

:rofl: :thumbup:

[Don Quixote]

bravo! :rofl:

[Kiwifan]

When I opened the front door there they were, glaring at me Well Sir, all I can say is "don't go opening the door without ya pants on. Sheesh. " :)

And Steve, :) :) I loved that car......

Rusty

[Michaelhatesfans]

:laugh:Damn, Steve, I think you could autograph and sell your keyboard right about now.:laugh:

[Indy]

They are just rats with wings

No, we are the rats. The eagles are lizards with wings.

Sort of like Snakes on a Plane. :laugh:





And SteveH :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[Sean Malone]

When I see an Eagle I wonder what they would taste like grilled. They are just rats with wings and Ben Franklin was right, the national bird should have been the turkey, a brave bird that will kick your ass if you try to walk past them during mating season. http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle9.html

I was just talking about this with a co-worker yesterday, as I've been seeing gaggles of wild turkeys on the way home this past week. Every time I see wild turkeys I think of ol' Ben campaigning to have them as the national symbol.

Bald eagles gather by the dozens at our local landfill. I think the symbolism is ironic.

[Don Quixote]

[high nasal pitch] Actually..... a gaggle would be geese, a group of turkeys is a rafter. [/end nasal pitch] :gomer:

[dando]

[high nasal pitch] Actually..... a gaggle would be geese, a group of turkeys is a rafter. [/end nasal pitch] :gomer:

Nerd. :p

-Kevin

[Indy]

[high nasal pitch] Actually..... a gaggle would be geese, a group of turkeys is a rafter. [/end nasal pitch] :gomer:

And a "kettle" of bald eagles.

[datachicane]

And a "kettle" of bald eagles.

With potatoes and onions?

[Methanolandbrats]

With potatoes and onions? Yum. Just think, with a little different vote in 1787 we would all be roasting eagles on thanksgiving.

[datachicane]

Yum. Just think, with a little different vote in 1787 we would all be roasting eagles on thanksgiving.

Tastes like chicken.

[oddlycalm]

Tastes like chicken.
Tastes like buzzard I'm thinkin :laugh:

Eagles are flat out carnivores, much of it from days old carcasses (road kill, natural kill) and post-spawn salmon rotting on the river bank. :yuck:

oc

[Ankf00]

mmm, you can really taste teh DDT

[oddlycalm]

mmm, you can really taste teh DDT
Either that or that bottle of last years stale Swamp Venom dry rub I took out of the BBQ cart and dumped in the bushes / fed to the local mice working it's way up the food chain...:gomer:

oc

[manic mechanic]

Just remember the rule of endangered species:

They wuz either slow or tasted REALLY good! :p

:D

manic

[oddlycalm]

Just remember the rule of endangered species:

They wuz either slow or tasted REALLY good! :p

:D

manic

Yup, or both. :laugh:

Guess that's why eagles are no longer endangered. They aren't slow and we can't eat them either. All they are is a seriously large carnivore with a surly attitude. Not a recipe for good neighbors. Over the mountains to the east the wolves have also returned to the delight of animal owners and hikers...:D

oc

[TRDfan]

Saw about a dozen on the way to work last week. In the next week or so we will have hundreds in the area.

[Gnam]

The following story appeared in Tom Stienstra's Sunday column in the San Francisco Chronicle.
His friend Clancy Enlow told him a story about a recent fishing trip.
I couldn't find a link, but it was too good not to share. ;)


Feathered High Noon at Shasta Lake

It was a magic moment on a lake: A bald eagle soared up, hovered, and then swooped down and nabbed a trout off the surface with its talons. But when two ravens then attacked the eagle, it quickly turned into a colossal mid air battle.

We were fishing on the Sacramento River Arm of Shasta Lake when a big bald eagle came down and took a trout right off the water, right in front of us. He was flying off, the fish in his talons, about 60 ft high. That's when two ravens suddenly showed up. One raven barreled in from above and behind at full throttle and hit the eagle in the back, knocking it 30 ft through the air.

The ravens were screaming at the eagle to drop the fish, but he wouldn't let it go. The eagle managed to regain about 30 to 40 ft of elevation when the other raven made its own strafing run and grabbed the eagle's tail feathers. In mid-flight, the two birds tumbled in the sky.

The eagle then whipped its head around and ripped the raven with its orange beak. The raven let go, but the other raven again rammed the eagle in the back. The eagle still wouldn't let go of the fish.

This raven tag-team attack went on for nearly two minutes. Each bird hit the bald eagle three or four times. The screeching was fantastic.

Suddenly, another bald eagle, likely a mate, arrived to the fight. This eagle came in from about 200 ft high, doing about 60 mph, and ran headlong into one of the ravens and nearly knocked it out of the air and into the lake.

That raven recovered from its fall through the air just before the water surface and then flew off. The second eagle then went after the other raven.

It was a 30-second air chase. The last we saw was the raven disappearing over a ridge with the second eagle right behind it. As for the eagle with the trout, it soared into the sky and took the trout up to a giant nest.

If you can't fly, don't mess with the EAGLES!

[Ankf00]

stop the eagle on goat violence

Yz7FFlFy8eM

[Sean Malone]

stop the eagle on goat violence



:eek: That was like a 70's horror flick.

[Indy]

Jesus Christ, I am scarred for life.

It reminds me of average citizen goat and the banker/corporatist politician eagles.

Hmmm, maybe the eagle is a suitable symbol for this country.

[Methanolandbrats]

Jesus Christ, I am scarred for life.

It reminds me of average citizen goat and the banker/corporatist politician eagles.

Hmmm, maybe the eagle is a suitable symbol for this country.:laugh:

[Michaelhatesfans]

stop the eagle on goat violence

As that last goat was tumbling down the cliff, I kept waiting for a Wilhelm scream and a big fire ball. Too many b movies and episodes of Chips in my past...

[Michaelhatesfans]

"Suddenly, another bald eagle, likely a mate, arrived to the fight. This eagle came in from about 200 ft high, doing about 60 mph, and ran headlong into one of the ravens and nearly knocked it out of the air and into the lake.
That raven recovered from its fall through the air just before the water surface and then flew off. The second eagle then went after the other raven."

Later, back in the nest, the eagles had the following exhange,
"You can be my wing man any day."
"No, you can be mine!"
Then they laughed and had a big man hug that suggested some deeper hidden desires.

[Ankf00]

"Suddenly, another bald eagle, likely a mate, arrived to the fight. This eagle came in from about 200 ft high, doing about 60 mph, and ran headlong into one of the ravens and nearly knocked it out of the air and into the lake.
That raven recovered from its fall through the air just before the water surface and then flew off. The second eagle then went after the other raven."

Later, back in the nest, the eagles had the following exhange,
"You can be my wing man any day."
"No, you can be mine!"
Then they laughed and had a big man hug that suggested some deeper hidden desires.


/thread

[Indy]

NSFW!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfbjUmG8zGk

[oddlycalm]

Later, back in the nest...:rofl:

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking... you talking to me?

[grungex]

NSFW!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfbjUmG8zGk

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Michaelhatesfans]

Last week my wife rushed into the house with wide eyes to announce there was a pair of bald eagles perched on a limb in our front yard. ...Since then there have been eagle incidents reported all over town...

Had one over our place today! Funny, even after you had mentioned this, it was still strange to see it drifting over our house, just a few minutes from downtown.

[Ankf00]

they're conducting forward recon for the coming invasion.

it's not the zombies we need to prepare for, it's the raptors.

[Michaelhatesfans]

they're conducting forward recon for the coming invasion.

it's not the zombies we need to prepare for, it's the raptors.

The rapture of the raptors?

[emjaya]

I got 'em covered. This was waiting for me on the driveway when I arrived home tonight. I'll just throw him at them.

287

[BarillaGirl]

stop the eagle on goat violence

Yz7FFlFy8eM

OK, I stopped watching after the first goat was flung off the cliff to his death.

Two thoughts:
The soundtrack sounds as if it comes from a movie that's gotten the MST3K treatment. As much as I felt bad for the goats, I wanted to hear what Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo had to say about this. ;)

And.... They didn't "just happen" to get this footage. Clearly, a whole camera crew knew just when and where to stake out the Cliffs of Goat Death to get a good video sequence.

Ergo, goats are pretty dumb. Hey, see the camera crew, ya dumb goats? GET OFF THE CLIFF already, it's eagle feeding time! :saywhat:

[Don Quixote]

^^^^ I sure hope you didn't offend any goats with that rant. :D

[BarillaGirl]

Doesn't matter, as they are in fact pretty tasty......
;)

[devilmaster]

^^^^ I sure hope you didn't offend any goats with that rant. :D


Well, lets ask.

Cam?

;)

[TrueBrit]

Doesn't matter, as they are in fact pretty tasty......
;)

And these ones come pre-tenderized...

[Michaelhatesfans]

And these ones come pre-tenderized...

Good thing, because that adrenaline rush on the way down can't be doing much for the meat.

[BarillaGirl]

Well, lets ask.

Cam?

;)

Now, are you trying to call Cam an old goat? 'Cause I see only young kids in the video. ;)

[Ankf00]

And these ones come pre-tenderized...

Whole Foods supply chain in action

[devilmaster]

Now, are you trying to call Cam an old goat? 'Cause I see only young kids in the video. ;)

Well, its either calling Cam an old goat, or knowing that if I needed to find goats, I know who to ask. ;)

sheesh. so literal. :laugh:

[chop456]

The soundtrack sounds as if it comes from a movie that's gotten the MST3K treatment. As much as I felt bad for the goats, I wanted to hear what Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo had to say about this.

FWIW - there are a bunch of MST3K episodes available for streaming on Netflix now.

My wife hates me even more than usual lately. "You're watching that stupid crap again?" :laugh:

[Don Quixote]

At least your wife says something. Mine just looks at me, then at the tv, then back at me, and then walks away shaking her head. :D