North Carolina
March 20, 2008, in the vicinity of the coastal town of Swansboro, North Carolina, (Onslow County), my husband spotted a large bird flying about 250 feet overhead above our neighborhood. He ran inside for his camera and took this photo with his telephoto digital camera. We were thrilled to confirm that it was a Bald Eagle.
The MacGillivarys, Swansboro, NC
I saw my first bald eagle early in March of 2008 in Wake County NC. I had
just turned onto highway 1010 off of 401 south near Wake Tech Community
College when I noticed a large black bird with a white head and tail. I was
quite surprised because I had never seen an eagle. It appeared to be
hunting. Nearby Jordan Lake is a popular site for viewing eagles.
Andy Freeman
Much to my disbelief, I actually saw a Bald Eagle in the Cary / Morrisville
area of North Carolina. I've been watching some eagle nests in other parts
of the country over the past few years via the web and just love this
majestic bird. These sites have allowed me to readily identify a Bald
Eagle now. I was letting my new puppy outside for a break and noticed a
large brown bird swooping into a pond on the Prestonwood Golf Course in
Cary, N.C. around lunchtime on February 25, 2008. This pond borders the
town of Morrisville and is close to Crabtree Creek and Lake Crabtree.
Frequently, there are larger water fowl hunting in this pond, but they are
the longer legged birds and they stand in the water or on the edge to prey
on fish, plus their flight is very different. This bird circled the pond
and dove for fish several times before flying off toward Lake Crabtree.
The white head and white fanned tail against the brown outstretched wings
and body really caught my eye and I realized I was actually seeing a Bald
Eagle in flight - practically in my own backyard. Wow! I hope to see this
eagle again. What a blessing. I never realized how large this bird is in
reality.
Kimberly C. Brock
Yesterday, 2-14-08 Valentines Day, While working in a pretty well developed subdivision of Belmont, Nc. I saw a large bird fly over head that upon staring at it for a few moments noticed that beautiful white head and tail prominently telling me immideatly it was a Bald Eagle. I Moved to this area of Nc almost 2 years ago now from Michigan where I've witnessed alot of eagles their, and enjoyed every minute,, this was my first sighting here in NC, and of course I am always searching the skies, especially when a large bird is in the distant, always curious and excited awaiting to see this majestic bird again...
Tony Schick
I had my first bald eagle sighting in North Carolina this past Sunday
while on the way to church. I saw it flying directly alongside my car
on highway 43 in a large field near Rock Springs in Pitt County. It
then landed right near my car. I couldn't miss the opportunity for this
sight so I stopped for a little while while it was in the field and just
admired the beauty of this magnificent creature.
Rick Finlayson
My husband and I spotted a bald eagle in flight on Sunday, December 16th, 2007. We were on highway 64W coming inland from Nags Head and we saw the eagle about 6 miles outside of Plymouth, NC in a huge grouping of trees. I have never seen one in the wild outside of Alaska...it was a thrill!
Martha Wewer
My eagle sighting came literally "out of the blue". On November 28th, late in the afternoon, I was driving east on I-40 just past the Research Triangle Park near Raleigh, North Carolina. I spotted a large bird gliding over the freeway above the treetops and at first thought it was a turkey buzzard. I was puzzled by a glint of white I saw on its head as it circled the roadway. Imagine my delight, as the bird continued its lazy glide towards me, to confirm not only the white of its head but also the snowy brilliance of its beautifully fanned tail. I had seen a bald eagle perched near its aerie in a Florida cypress swamp but it just doesn’t compare to seeing one in full flight!
Kimberli McWhirter
Reported by: Pam Mastin
Greenville NC
between Greenville NC and Grimesland NC
12:00 p.m. November 7, 2007
Four adult eagles...three on the ground and one in the air.
This area is a rural subdivision not yet developed. There are several man made ponds and there had been recent Canada goose hunting. These birds were eating a dead Canada goose...I assume it was left by the hunters.
My husband and I were fishing along one of the lakes at White Oak River Campground in Maysville, NC and saw a beautiful bald eagle flying above. It was truely an amazing sight.
Andrea Williams
We live in the eastern part of Greene County. There has been a bald eagle here for years and I have seen it on different occassions. But to day while loading our family car for an outing the Eagle was sitting in one of our dead treetops. The crows were sqawking loudly and that is what attracked him to me. He sat in the tree for 4-5 minutes and my wife, son and I got to look at him through binoculars. "AMAZING" !!! His White on his head is so bright. Wish I could figure out how to get him to come around our place more often.
George C. Worrell Jr.
September 29, 2007, 10:30 AM
We spotted a bald eagle while riding bicycles on Chinquapin Road in Davie County, NC. Unfortunately, the bicycles frightened it, but we could clearly see the white head and tail. Magnificent!
H Forbis
I saw my first bald eagle last night (July 31st) as I was traveling on I-40 in Duplin County, NC. It was perched atop a tree beside the interstate. The time was 8:10 pm. and it was between mile marker 389 and 388. What a sight! I was "almost" speechless.
Phyllis Brown, Kenansville, NC
Dec 16 2006 my granddaughter and I were going home
from a day of deer hunting in Gatescounty NC. on RT37
when we noticed a large bird in the road. Thinking it
was a turkey buzzard, as I slowed down the huge bird
flew up with what it was eating and dropped it on the
side of the road and flew to a tree where we got a
good look at it. No doubt it was a Bald eagle. First
time ever seeing one.
Bruce Sherman
Virginia Beach VA.
December 16, 2006. A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS present! A pair of Bald Eagles in my "back yard". We live on Lake Monroe in Monroe NC and saw the male earlier in the day. Then at dusk, the two briefly perched in trees, to take off shortly thereafter. Hope they decide to stay around till Christmas! What a gift!
Kay Hawkins
The coolest thing happened this morning on the way to work. Right off the gravel road near my house I spotted a Bald Eagle!!! It was the most shocking sight. There he (or she) was, perched in a pine tree right off the road. It was awesome! Not exactly what I was expecting to see on wintery day like this.
Dave & Christine Swingle
Orange County, North Carolina
Nov, 21, 2006
I drive a fairly rural route between my home near Raleigh NC and where I work down near Fayetteville, and have never seen much more than your garden variety of birds and animals on the various routes I take that way until 11/14/2006. As I was traveling on Hwy 82 East through the Averasboro Battleground between Erwin and Godwin NC I happened to look out into one of the fields and catch glimpse of a large bird on the ground next to a large ponding of water. It had been raining and was quite dreary that day and at first glimpse, I thought I was seeing a turkey vulture - there were other smaller birds on the periphery of this same puddle - which is not that uncommon a sight in this area. But as I got a better view, and the bird seemingly turned its head to look at me, I realized that the head and neck where much different than any turkey vulture, and was white to boot. It was most definitely an eagle. I slowed and stared as much as I dared while driving, and berated myself for not even having the simplest of cameras available to me at the time. I've seen wild eagles fairly close up on both Shearon Harris and Jordan Lakes a little farther up the Cape Fear River basin before, while fishing those reservoirs, but this is as far down the Cape Fear as I have personally seen an eagle ever in my life. Given this historical area's proximity to the Cape Fear River, I can only assume that this bird was either traveling it for forage that day, or the birds are spreading out from their lakeside habitats that are about 20 miles from where I saw this particular bird. Even on a nasty and rainy day, it was a beautiful sight to see. I hope to see more of them as the birds expand their population and their habitat.
E. David Beasley
Willow Spring NC
On March 20, 2006, my friend and I were riding on Route 601 going north in North Carolina not far from the South Carolina border. There is a stretch of farmland and some land being leveled. I was in the passenger seat and looked to my right, and right there in the field was a bald eagle. He must have just caught up with something. We kind of thought that rats and mice were being chased out of the piles of plowed trees that were being burned. I was very excited to see the eagle in such plain sight! Several days later, my friend saw one in a tree while fishing at a local lake in Ruby, South Carolina. I did not know that eagles were so prevalent in this area, having moved from New Jersey, where there are some in the local reservoirs near where we lived. Courtesy of Karolyn Tredeau
This morning at 10 AM a pair of Bald Eagles flew right over me headed east across Lake Lure NC. They were about 100 feet above ground and seemed in a hurry. Their passage set off the crows cawing and a number of other birds joined in. Quite a clammer for a special event. Courtesy of Penny Kay
WOW! We just saw a bald eagle in our own back yard. What a sight! We
live in Johnston County, NC. We've seen them before when we lived in
Durham, NC, but this is the first time we've seen one here. Courtesy of Elizabeth Tencza
I saw my first Bald Eagle in Ashe County, North Carolina this morning. It was perched in a white pine along highway 221 at the base of Mount Jefferson. Eight to ten crows were harassing it and it flew about 100 yards to the top of a different white pine. What a beauty!!! Amazing that no one else looked up. Courtesy of Pat Considine
January 5, 2006
Yesterday afternoon around 4:30 pm my brother and I were driving home from
work (carpooling). We took what we call the "back way", it goes past a lake
out in the country. Perched up in a tree about 50 or 60 feet off the road
next to the lake was the first bald eagle I'd ever seen. He was big and
beautiful. We stopped to look and after a few moments he flew off. You could
see his white head and tail for a long way off. It was a very exciting
moment. I really didn't think we had any in this area, but I know there is
at least one, and where there's one there's going to be another.
Hope I see him again.
Eagle spotted around Lake Macintosh, Burlington, North Carolina.
Courtesy of Mark Chapmon |