For a couple of weeks, the roads and lake were covered in ice. Once the temperatures rose and the ice started to melt, we ventured out to enjoy the lake’s beauty. The ice and snow added an extra layer of charm to a well-known setting.
The highlight of the excursion was watching two adult and three juvenile bald eagles perched way out on the frozen lake. Each eagle was striving to secure its portion of a sizable fish that had been caught. They were certainly putting on a show with their posturing, prancing and high-pitched cries.
“Life is filled with treasures, if you’re a lucky one. Be grateful and be humble, and share them with someone.” ~Julie Hebert
walking on a country road 
Excellent Video Rebecca! Notice how the larger adult female is dominant and the male is waiting. She gets her fill first!
It’s basically a family outing.
Once both adults have their fill they will move away and It’ll be the kids turn to eat
Btw, that male looks young. He still has a bit of black on his head. Which means this is his first family.
Thanks for the information, Wayne. That really fills in the story that we watched unfold. It was interesting observing this family of eagles and their interaction with each other. The juveniles didn’t look like they wanted to wait their turn. 🙂
Juveniles are like teenagers…….they are constantly getting into trouble because they do not know boundaries, but not to worry …. that’s what mum and dad are for
It always seems odd to me seeing Cypress and Tupelo in snow 😁. That also means my transition to southern may be complete 😳
They are hardy trees. It is amazing that snow and ice don’t seem to bother them.
The older original remote plantations used Black Cypress for building if available. The dreaded termite here doesn’t eat them. They also don’t burn well. In general they are like iron 😳
I love the photo of the trees silhouetted black. Looks like an African tribal dancing line. Are they cypress? You live in a winter paradise…know you enjoy wandering and photographing God’s creation. Enjoy your evening.
Thanks, Lane. They are bald cypress. They seem to fare well in the swampy waters of the lake, even in the cold of winter. I really enjoy seeing them at different times of the day since the lighting is never the same and it’s like seeing them again in a new way.
That photo intrigues me. I really love it. I enjoy your words and your photos. Bye-bye.
Fascinating footage, Rebecca. I wonder if they were related, parent and offspring? Hierarchy in nature is interesting to observe. Great post!
Thanks, Eliza! I believe they were a family. It’s interesting that they form a group and learn hunting and survival skills from their parents.
Fantastic footage. The trees in the frozen lake are otherworldly. Fantastic photos, also.
Thanks, Timothy. Some of the trees in the area have been around for hundreds of years and are always interesting to see.
Rebecca – what a nice outing you had, well worth the wait after all the icy weather you had. I always marvel at those trees, first in the water, then in the ice, all the exposed roots, but still looking good year after year. The eagles and the fish feast, both the still shots and the video, were very interesting. They sure were arguing about that fish and who got to eat it first. The oldest eagle sure made sure everyone knew their place at the “table” with the screeching. I can imagine it was noisy when they were flying up and arguing. That was a huge fish they had. This was a perfect quote for this post.
Thanks, Linda. The water level at the lake is very low right now, so more of the knees and the base of the trees are exposed. They are quite amazing to see. It was fun to drive up to this area of the lake and see these five eagles sitting out on the ice. It was the first time that I had observed the family dynamics like this. At another spot, we saw a group of six eagles together eating but they were too far out for my camera.
I’m glad to see those trees recovered from being saturated like that and hopefully not too much ice damage from the wintry weather. You were lucky to see the eagles eating by seniority and they sure weren’t happy about that routine. That’s too bad the second group were too far out. You had a lucky day out with the camera though.
Beautiful photographs. We don’t have the bald eagle here — they truly are magnificent birds.
We do have the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), but they are mostly found in the higher mountain regions. Eagles are truly impressive and majestic creatures.
Thank you for sharing such lovely photos!
Thanks! This lake has a number of bald eagles that migrate through in the wintertime. They do look so regal in the air, but I thought they looked awkward and a little comical walking around on the ice. They are very interesting to watch in both places. 🙂
Much of our dirty snow had melted. Until yesterday. A fresh blanket of white returned by afternoon. Just a light layer. Always s think p
I know it was beautiful. They’re predicting that we will get some more snow around the beginning of March. We’ll see. I enjoy the snow, but it’s the ice accumulation that really gets us down here.
We are definitely better prepared up here in Minnesota, but no one likes it very much.
I always think about the grime of my sin and washing away, making us whiter than snow. Even though it’s beautiful, I long for green grass and new life.
A beautiful analogy, Kathy. Thanks for sharing this. We’re already seeing the trees budding and some daffodil blooming. Spring is on the way!
Amazing photos and video. I like the quote.
Thanks so much, Mags!
Gorgeous!
Thanks! Our ice is all melted now, but it was beautiful while it lasted.
I agree, gorgeous!
Thanks, Donna!
Beautiful…🙌🙌🙌
Thanks! 🙂
Beautiful photos!
Thanks, Melanie!