Eagles Hunting in the Susquehanna

     Conowingo Dam, located in Hartford County, Maryland, is nationally famous for the large number of eagles which congregate to take advantage of fantastic hunting opportunities.  Beginning in late-autumn, and extending through December (and sometimes January), anywhere from 20, up to the record of over 500 (which is an outrageously high turnout) bald eagles will migrate to this location, from surrounding areas.  Located just upstream from where the Susquehanna River empties into Maryland’s Chesepeake Bay, fish passing through this dam are sometimes briefly stunned by the turbulence, resulting in easy pickings for a number of fish-eaters, most notably, the aforementioned bald eagle. These migrant-eagles stick around for a brief period to build up fat reserves, prior to returning home to their breeding territories.

     I spent Friday-Saturday of last weekend at the dam, attempting to capitalize on the available photo-ops. However, as a result of warmer-than-average temperatures further north (giving eagles less incentive to migrate to the dam), in addition to extremely high water, the action was, at best, mediocre. That said, there was still some exciting action, such as this juvenile fisher-eagle!  These aren’t all stellar pictures, but this short series does a pretty decent job of exhibiting the dive, with the young raptor proceeding the fly away with her prize. Hartford Co, MD.