Eagles Offer A Gateway To Birding

There are many times when I'm out birdwatching that I here the question-"Have you seen any eagles?". Sometimes I'm just asked if I've seen any with the assumption that I must be looking for eagles. Every winter people in Connecticut who have little interest in birds beyond what they see at their feeders venture out on the weekends with their binoculars in search of Bald Eagles.

It was over 10 years ago that I was doing the same thing. I was amazed by how many eagles could be found right here in Connecticut as they traveled down from the northern states in search of open water. Now they regularly nest here and can be found along the Connecticut River year round. Once I saw my share of eagles I started to point my binoculars in the direction of other birds. That was the turning point when I went from someone who looks at birds to someone who actively seeks them out-(aka-a birder). 

For some it may have been the sight of their first bluebird, oriole, owl, or Great Blue Heron that first lured them away from their backyard birdfeeder and into the local farm field with their binoculars but the eagle has got to be near the top of the list of birds that have served as a gateway to the world of birding.