GOLDEN EAGLE at Mt. Pete!

It was a strange day at Mount Peter. Between the warm temperatures, the very light winds, and a completely cloudless sky, I did not have very high expectations for today’s flight. And for the most part, my low expectations were met. BUT! Just after 1:00, the day was saved. I picked up a dark/silhouetted bird south of the platform; it was heading south. It had a slight dihedral, so I was thinking Turkey Vulture. But then it flapped and I knew it was not a vulture… I picked up some white on the tail and then the bird started to circle and I could clearly see the white on the underside of the wings – GOLDEN EAGLE! This was probably the most unexpected Golden Eagle I’ve ever seen – this bird was a little early for GOEA, and conditions were less than ideal. But I’ll take it, lol, it certainly saved a day where I had only 13 additional migrating raptors.

~Golden Eagle just south of Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 10/19/24.~
~There was a small flock of Purple Finches present when I arrived at Mt. Pete. I thought they would be the highlight of day, but I was wrong. PUFI at Mount Peter Hawkwatch 10/19/24.~
~One more shot of the Golden Eagle at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 10/19/24.~

6 thoughts on “GOLDEN EAGLE at Mt. Pete!”

  1. WOW!!it’s always a great day when you see a golden eagle. One of these days I’m going to surprise you and visit the hawk watch. Plus I need some camera help.

    1. I sure is! I was thrilled. You should definitely stop up – we can talk cameras while scanning for birds. Matt

  2. Excellent sighting! Lucky you! All those long hours paid off! What’s the average yearly total for Golden eagle at Mount Peter?

    1. Thanks Silas! I’m not sure what the average is exactly, but I think we usually get a handful of them each year. Matt

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