Bald Eagle Over Quabbin

This morning we drove in search of Tundra Swans on the Quabbin Reservoir a dozen miles to our east. A group of 18 had been reported--a special event since they are very rarely seen in Massachusetts. We spotted them successfully, but far out on the very large reservoir--not a good blip.

However, a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flew by, saving the day after a fashion. It was not exactly close, but I did manage this image. These birds take five years to mature fully and acquire the fully white head and tail that distinguishes the adult. This individual is not quite there, and thus I would guess it's about four years old. Bald eagles are regularly seen around the Quabbin and along our section of the Connecticut River.

The Quabbin Reservoir was created in the 1930s, and is one of two major sources of water for Boston, over 80 miles to the east. It stretches 18 miles from north to south.

This is the second eagle I've posted this month--we had a golden eagle on our Arizona trip.

Don't miss yesterday's blip if you're a fan of Bob Dylan