2nd year Bald Eagle

Winter Storm Iola may have been a dud in Connecticut, but it dropped about six inches of snow in coastal New Hampshire, where we journeyed today to see my granddaughter Stasia and daughter-in-law Jess. After nearly three hours in the car, I was ready for a walk, and, snow or clear, Stasia was more than happy to indulge me. We hiked in the grooves of fresh cross-country ski tracks, and when we got to the frozen edge of a nearby river, we scanned the open water for sea ducks. We didn't spot any, but we did notice the flat wings of a very large bird that was soaring in our direction. "I think that's an eagle," I told Stasia. She was hoping for penguins, but eagles would do, and she got very excited as the huge raptor soared almost right overhead. The feathering pattern marked it as a two-year-old bird, and with any luck, perhaps we'll see it again in a couple of years, when it looks like a proper Bald Eagle.