My Encounters with Big Birds of Prey.
Isn’t it remarkable? I took this picture of a Turkey Vulture through my living room window — it’s true. I live on the 10th floor of an apartment building just a few minute’s drive from a wildlife reserve. This is not an uncommon view for me, in fact, some days I have multiple sightings while sitting on my couch. How about that! Nature comes to me for a change.
Technically, Vultures aren’t raptors, but they usually get honorary raptor status due to their large size and behavior.
I moved into this building in May of 2021, and since then I’ve seen hundreds of vultures and dozens of eagles just outside my living room window. Most of the time they are using the updraft created by the wind striking the side of my 11-story building and traveling upward, fueled by the hot air directly above the large asphalt parking lot. I believe this situation mimics the natural updrafts created by canyon walls throughout the mountainous areas of the southwestern United States.
The hot air rises, helping raptors to spiral into the sky. This is a common scene we’ve all witnessed, either in person, or in a movie or western TV show. I don’t think the raptors care if the updraft is natural or man made, they just follow their instincts.
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located just beyond the smokestacks*, south of the closed power plant near my home (shown below). Obviously there will be overflow, wildlife isn’t concerned with our property boundaries. Raptors can be seen for miles in every direction outside the refuge.
Most of my ‘parking lot’ sightings involve 1 or 2 vultures who quickly rise up to join the other vultures already high in the sky, eventually I’ll see them all fly away together in a group (kettle). Sometimes I view them off in the distance soaring in a big circle, most likely high above a potential meal.
The image below shows 5 vultures heading in my direction. At times I’ve seen as many as 14 vultures soaring above at once. (NOTE: Vultures typically travel in pairs or groups. Eagles usually travel solo, although sometimes may be seen with their partner)
Every year I have the good fortune to encounter dozens, if not hundreds, of Turkey Vultures in flight. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the number of sightings of other species of raptor is much more infrequent. Osprey are the next most popular group of sightings for me, followed by Bald Eagles.
I usually have to travel about 8 miles to ‘Lake Erie Metro Park’, located adjacent to the Wildlife Refuge along Lake Erie, to find an Osprey. Here I view Osprey as they dive into the lake to grab a fish for their breakfast.
It’s an awesome thing to witness because Osprey are the only raptors that completely submerge their bodies while capturing their prey. Sadly, they’ve been a little too far offshore for my camera to capture a detailed image of this behavior.
The raptors I usually encounter are Turkey Vultures, Osprey, and Bald Eagles (lucky me). Once you understand the basic differences, it’s relatively easy to recognize each bird in flight. Below are examples of the common raptors I’ve seen over the years.
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
My favorite raptors are Eagles. I had so many unique encounters with Eagles while living in Colorado that eventually I ended up with the nickname ‘Eagleman’.
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
What surprised me when I moved back to Michigan three years ago is that the sightings have not only continued, they’ve increased. Yes, I’ve seen almost as many Eagles in Michigan in the last three years as I did while living in Colorado for 35 years. In my youth, growing up in Michigan in the 50’s and 60’s, I probably saw two Eagles in that time period. Now, they are everywhere. That’s a testament to the success of placing Bald Eagles on the Endangered Species List. It worked!
My Favorite Encounters
I’ve had many close ‘encounters’ with Eagles, both Golden and Bald. Even though I don’t have images of these events, I want to give a brief summary of some of my more memorable Eagle sightings, just because they were so unique.
I moved to Colorado from Lincoln Park, Michigan in 1983, arriving at night. We drove up the mountain to Breckenridge in the dark. I remember commenting how weird it was to see stars on the horizon. Waking in the morning to a bright blue sky I decided to have my morning tea out on the back deck of my friends home.
As I looked up I noticed a Bald Eagle circling overhead. It was mesmerizing. I took it as an omen, thinking “this was a good move, destiny has brought me here for a reason”. I felt the Eagle welcomed me to Colorado, and I feel I’ve had a special connection to Eagles ever since.
Later I ended up living in Littleton, CO., a suburb of Denver. In 1991, while driving to work one morning on Wadsworth, a six lane avenue in a populated area, I was surprised by what all of a sudden appeared in front of me. It had come up quickly from the roadside ditch to the right.
It was a huge Golden Eagle with a large snake wriggling in its talons in an attempt to escape. This happened just 10–12 feet in front of my windshield. I can only describe it as a magical moment in time, almost like some kind of spiritual experience. The image of that eagle clutching that snake is burned into my brain. It was a good day.
I temporarily moved back to Michigan in 1995 to stay with my ill mother as she recovered from a medical condition. One day, while in my old neighborhood, I decided to get a haircut. I parked my car and started to head into the barber shop when I noticed a large bird flying about a half mile away, over the old K-Mart store. I stared at the big bird and immediately felt it was looking at me too… that was weird.
I kept watching the big bird as it slowly headed toward me. As it got closer I was able to establish it was an eagle. It came right to me, dropping down to tree top level just above my head, where it suddenly turned and headed off in a different direction. Was it my imagination, or did I just have a ‘connection’ with that eagle? I believe it intentionally came to me, as strange as that may sound.
I believe all animals communicate with each other at some psychic/consciousness level, we are usually just not aware it is happening. I think the eagle wanted to let me know it was here. It was a big deal. It was the first time I had ever seen an eagle in my hometown, on the border of Detroit, and I haven’t seen one anywhere near there since.
Years later, after I had returned to Colorado, I had my closest encounter with an eagle ever. It happened in 2019 when I visited Barr Lake, which is about 20 miles northeast of Denver. I was scanning the sky for eagles that day as I hiked around the lake.
The Barr Lake Wildlife Refuge has one of the very few eagle nests along the Front Range. This area is basically a small lake with a park around it, but it’s beautiful. I went there a few times, however, it was my final visit when the magic happened. About 60 feet from the water’s edge there is a wide hiking path that circles the lake, the area in between the water and pathway is filled with trees, grass, and flowers.
While hiking I wandered off the path toward the lake to check out the boardwalk that extends out over the water. It was at that moment that I sensed its presence. I could hear the majestic wings flap… whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. It was a heavy, but gentle sound, powerful in its grace. I first noticed it in the corner of my left eye. There it was, a Golden Eagle beside me, I was literally six feet from its wingtip and its body was level with my shoulders.
I turned my head and looked him in the eye as he flew away, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, his body about the size of two footballs end to end. Seven seconds later it was flying out over the water. He was gone. I believe it must have been in one of the low branches of a tree between the path and the lake. I think I ‘spooked it’ when I stepped off the path toward the trees.
The only opening of trees next to the lake was just ahead, by the boardwalk. It was the the eagles only path for escape, he had to fly between me and the trees. I could almost touch him, and obviously, that was a once in a lifetime event!
This last encounter happened two years ago at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (IWR)) near my home. I was at the visitor center shoreline, not far from the fishing pier, looking out toward Humbug Island when I spotted an adult Bald Eagle.
He was flying just a few feet above the water, perpendicular to my view, 50 feet in front of me, and moving left to right. It was the classic view of an eagle flying low over the water. Videos like that are all over the internet. It was a beautiful sight, if only I had had my camera.
This place is close to my home, so I visit it often. The Detroit River (IWR) Visitor Center property is the only place where I have seen two Bald Eagles. These two encounters were literally within 100 feet of me, one high one low. I’ll get that perfect Bald Eagle photo some day, I just know it.
Those are the 5 most unique encounters I’ve had with eagles over the years. I look at encounters as events that took place in front of, or above me, at some point within 100 feet or so. I’ve had many other ‘distant’ sightings of Golden and Bald Eagles, I just don’t classify them as ‘encounters’.
Finally, I just want to add one of my favorite Osprey images. This sighting took place along the shoreline of the Detroit River at Lake Erie Metropark. It was fascinating to watch this angry Seagull chase away this bad-ass Osprey in a chaotic clash of aerial frenzy. Eventually the Osprey gave in to the aggressive demands of the Seagull and flew away to search for food in a less disputed area of the river. Can you blame him?
*For the record, the view out my window has changed drastically, they demolished the 100 year old smokestacks 2 weeks ago and the building will come down in a few months — I have mixed feelings about it.
** Young Bald Eagles do not develop the classic white feathers on their head until they reach the age of 5 years old. However they are still classified as ‘Bald’ Eagles.
Thanks for reading my article.
Info Sources: In addition to my personal information, most ‘researched’ information was gathered from the websites noted below and from various Google searches.
- To learn more about Lake Erie Metropark visit their website here.
- To learn more about Barr Lake Wildlife Refuge visit their website here.
- To learn more about the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website here.
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