Juvenile Bald Eagle

A recent quick cruise through Bombay Hook NWR along their wildlife drive provided a few birding opportunities, including a juvenile Bald Eagle in flight.

We are most familiar with the classic look of the Bald Eagle; the white head & tail, dark brown body & wings, and bright yellow beak & feet. This adult plumage is attained in five years after birth.

But before they attain their “classic look”, Bald Eagles are born dark brown with black beaks and then go through phases the next three years, becoming more mottled with white each year, while the beak begins to attain a yellow hue down its length. Their fourth year begins the final phase of of the head and tail attaining more white while the body and wings loose the white and go back to brown.

This is a 3rd year Bald Eagle.

I watched this Bald Eagle as he eyed the ducks in Shearness Pool below. Frantic mayhem simultaneously occurred as those ducks eyed him as well and quickly took flight away from his direction.

He didn’t seem to care to chase them. But I bet he snickered.

And off he flew, to the tree line where he landed.

It is always a great day to see and photograph a Bald Eagle!

Tags: Bald, bird watching, birding, Birds, Bombay Hook, Delaware, eagle, flight, immature, juvenile, nature, NWR, photo, photographs, photography, photos, wildlife, wings

35 thoughts on “Juvenile Bald Eagle”

tanjabrittonwriter on 12/27/2017 at 11:49 PM said:

Great photos, Donna. Luckily for the ducks, he was not hungry. 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:14 PM said:
  
  Thanks Tanja! So right! 🙂
  
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thelocals2016 on 12/28/2017 at 3:24 AM said:

That is an impressive bird! Nice captures.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:14 PM said:
  
  Thanks!
  
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aussiebirder on 12/28/2017 at 5:40 AM said:

Amazing clear shots Donna, the immature raptors seem to all have this brown mottled plumage which changes yearly till they mature. It is interesting that these large birds take 3 to 4 years to mature and need to be taught how to fly and hunt, when we compare them to the small passerines. Have a wonderful New Year Donna and many more birding adventures!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:15 PM said:
  
  Thanks Ashley! Have a wonderful New Year too!
  
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niasunset on 12/28/2017 at 6:55 AM said:

It is always so exciting to be in here and to watch your photographs. Thank you dear Donna, Love, nia

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:15 PM said:
  
  Thanks Nia!
  
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neihtn2012 on 12/28/2017 at 8:09 AM said:

Very nice shots, Donna!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:15 PM said:
  
  Thanks Hien!
  
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Ellen Jennings on 12/28/2017 at 8:40 AM said:

You made me laugh…”I bet he snickered” — ha ha, made you fly! I often wonder if some of the bird behaviors we see are intentional pokes or what the birds are thinking.

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- Ellen Jennings on 12/28/2017 at 8:41 AM said:
  
  Nice shots of this Juvi!
  
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  - bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:16 PM said:
    
    Thanks Ellen!
- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:16 PM said:
  
  I too wonder what birds are thinking. They gotta have some fun, right?!! 😉
  
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1nmbirder on 12/28/2017 at 9:44 AM said:

I agree! Wonderful day! I once watched a red-tailed hawk fly lazily thru some pigeons just for grins. Lol!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:17 PM said:
  
  Birds gotta have a little fun too, right?!! lol
  
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avian101 on 12/28/2017 at 4:50 PM said:

How nice to see a juvenile Bald Eagle! Even better, to shoot some great photos of it. 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:17 PM said:
  
  Thanks HJ! 🙂
  
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Susan Hale on 12/28/2017 at 5:16 PM said:

Beautiful, Donna! We have had some immature bald eagles in our cove on Kent Island over the past two years, and they are so special, but hard to get good photos. You were definitely in the right place at the right time.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:18 PM said:
  
  Thanks Susan! 🙂
  
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tootlepedal on 12/28/2017 at 6:23 PM said:

Good shots. I am pleased for the ducks but it will probably be only a matter of time.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:19 PM said:
  
  Thanks Tom! You are right….
  
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circadianreflections on 12/28/2017 at 10:32 PM said:

Beautiful in flight series of this youngster! He’s a beauty. I bet he snickered too. 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/04/2018 at 8:28 AM said:
  
  Thanks Deborah! We both know he did, lol. 🙂
  
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Gunta on 12/29/2017 at 3:57 AM said:

Lovely images of this adolescent! There’s just one thing I miss since moving south and that’s the bald eagle’s nest I used to watch over back in the old neighborhood! As always there’s the little trade offs no matter what you do! 😏 Wishing you and yours all the best for the coming year! 🕊

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:31 PM said:
  
  Thanks Gunta! Maybe you’ll come across another nest in your new region. Oh, I’m sure during your RV traveling trips! Have a wonderful New Year, including rolling those wheels!
  
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Lisa Rest on 12/29/2017 at 1:11 PM said:

Great photos, Donna! We had perhaps a dozen individual eagles on our Christmas Count, of varying ages. Almost as challenging as aging gulls, which I regularly give up on any age between first year and adult. 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:31 PM said:
  
  Thanks Lisa! Gulls give me headaches trying to ID, lol. I remember your posts on IDing scores of them, I thought how great you were at it! 🙂
  
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  - Lisa Rest on 12/31/2017 at 11:27 AM said:
    
    Only once a year do I deal with gulls. It’s like shorebirds. Then I forget it all and have to learn it again. What is wonderful, though, is the comeback for the Bald Eagles. They’re almost common now, anywhere. 🙂
Jane's Heartsong on 12/30/2017 at 6:24 PM said:

Enjoyed looking at this. Been so busy I have gotten away from reading or commenting on the posts, but wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and joyful new year.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 12/30/2017 at 6:34 PM said:
  
  Thanks Jane! I’ve gotten behind, I think we all get behind at times! Have a wonderful new year full of hope, love and peace.
  
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Cornell on 12/31/2017 at 11:45 AM said:

Beautiful.
Such a majestic bird.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/04/2018 at 8:28 AM said:
  
  Thanks Cornell! Very majestic! 🙂
  
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denisebushphoto on 01/01/2018 at 10:13 AM said:

Very nice! We ran into a woman who was birding down by our river walk. She was looking for the ‘leucistic’ (partially albino) bald eagle that had been spotted in the area. We had never heard of that so I looked it up. It is a rare genetic condition where the bird lacks pigment in the feathers.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/01/2018 at 6:47 PM said:
  
  Thanks Denise! I’ve read about leucistic, albino, and piebald in wildlife in the past. Just looked at images of a leucistic bald eagle. How interesting, thank you for sharing!
  
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