4-23-2021 How Far Can an Eagle Turn It's Head

Thursday, April 23rd

Took a drive around on the last sunny day, for the next few. First stop was at one of the pull-outs along the west side. A few birds way in the distance came into view...at first I thought bald eagles but there was something different.  They were really distant flying over the water a good distance from shore, so lots of 'dot shots' and back-lit too, so hopefully my images would give me some clues. When I looked...yep, bald eagle or two and 3 or 4 vultures.

I left there and then stopped on the upper pullout from Lime Kiln.  It was too nice to go back inside yet. There is a tree down below and across the road where an eagle, and sometimes two, will sit. And today there was one.  This was a very alert bald eagle.  Here is the sequence of how responsive to even distant noise, this eagle was.  Of course we know they are but it was interesting to watch how far the head rotated.        Images are from left to right.  Notice the middle image on the second row...the eagle might have been reacting to the sound of my camera! A few minutes later there was noise coming from the left of the eagle. So back went the head back the other direction. 

I had to look it (how far they can rotate their head) up to find out.