I consider myself a lucky man. For more than 20 years I have been making a living at photographing wildlife, writing books and leading birding tours. I can recall many of the trips I lead in the early and mid 80’s When I was first starting to see iconic bird species such as Loons, Osprey and Bald Eagles. I would pack up a van full of eager birdwatchers, with binoculars slung around their necks, and head out with great anticipation to see if we could find some Bald Eagles.
We would drive hundreds of miles searching up and down the Mississippi River in late winter looking for the large black and white birds. If the weather was right, the ice conditions on the river correct and the winds in our favor we would get to see a handful of eagles but only after an entire day worth of searching. It was such a trill for myself and the birdwatchers because it was the first time many of them saw an eagle in the wild.
I’m sure you already know, the Bald Eagle was at its all time low numbers in the 1970’s. The effects of DDT took its toll on the symbol of our great nation and put the bird on the ropes, headed for extinction. In most places in the country the bird was already gone. Entire generations of people grew up never seeing this majestic bird. I was fortunate because I lived in an area (Minnesota) that still had a small population of eagles clinging to life.
Now, jump forward 25 or so years and I am still leading birding trips to see the bald eagles only this time it’s not so hard to find the birds. In fact on a recent trip along the Mississippi River I counted nearly 1000 Bald Eagles in one day. The group I was with took it all in stride. We would stop and see 150 to 200 eagles soaring in the blue sky and perched in the naked trees. Seeing such large concentrations of eagles was a thrill but no one in the group was jumping up and down or doing cartwheels as we might have done 20 years ago. I didn’t even hear anyone exclaim that they got goose bumps when seeing an eagle fly majestically over-head.
I took a moment to reflect upon my past experiences with the Bald Eagle. I have personally seen this species go from a species tittering on the brink of extinction to one that flourishing. From an endangered species to a common species. I saw first hand the slow but steady increase, year after year, of this great bird. Each year I would tell stories to the group about my experience from the last time I was along the river photographing or leading a trip to watch the eagles and each time it seemed less and less important to the group. Almost taking the eagles for granted. I am not sure taking the success of the Bald Eagle is a good thing or bad thing but it’s a true thing.
So, I really want to say, I am not the only one who is lucky. We are all lucky to see such a great success story unfold in front of us and for me in front of my very own eyes. I feel very pleased to have had this first hand experience with one of my favorite birds. This experience lives inside of me and the thought of it makes me stop and take a moment each time I see a Bald Eagle flying across the sky or perched in a tree. I am still as thrilled to see the eagles now as I was in those lean eagle times, and yes, I still do get goose bumps from seeing an eagle fly across a blue sky. For all of this, I consider myself a very lucky man. Until next time…