I knew this might happen at some point actually it even seemed likely a couple of times but it was the first for me yesterday. Fishing with clients for stripers in shallow water with big poppers wind was blowing but it was not especially rough just enough of a chop to limit how well the poppers showed up.
As is always the case there were eagles around and I pointed some out including a couple of this year's young which you can easily tell by the white under feathers under the wings and on the body. Before long one of the young eagles was attracted to the poppers splashing across the surface. I'm sure seeking an easy lunch. I imagine that at this point since they are now flying and out of the nest that the parents have kind of stopped feeding them regularly. In the hopes that they will learn to feed themselves.
This youngster made a pass at one of the poppers which happens frequently with young gulls and terns. When it does, I always tell clients to simply snap it away. Usually a successful strategy. On the first pass the eagle decided that the popper didn't look all that tasty and hovered right above the boat for a minute. Long enough to know for a fact how big of a bird they are from 20 feet. After a few seconds it decided that it really did want that popper and dove right down on it just as quick as you might imagine. I quickly shouted to the client snap it away from him but no luck. The young eagle picked up the popper and at this point there was really nothing to do but stand and watch.
Gulls and terns pick up a popper with their mouths usually assuring that they get a hook in them turns out eagles are different and pick fish up with their talons, which this one had done. Luckily, he was able to figure out in a very short distance that this was nothing he wanted to eat. Before the brief movie in my head could play out about how I was going to report all of this to the appropriate authorities the eagle decided that the popper wasn't anything he wanted and dropped it. Flying off to sit with his sibling on a nearby shore I’m certain relating the story about the inedible things around that boat. Great story with a happy ending for everyone hopefully one that I never see play out again.
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