This is, so far, the only shot I have of an eagle showing the white head that allows for identification. The eagle was a parent of the baby we found below their nest, lying in a city parking lot. My understanding was that there was a second baby in the nest, and I assume this parent was on guard while the other hunted for food.
We have also seen a Golden Eagle eating a meal about five feet from the road. In the sun, the plumage looks a magnificent chestnut brown color, gleaming with gold highlights, so I presume that is where the name came from. We do seen them circling overhead and know they are Golden Eagles because they lack the white head and tail, and have a slightly different wing span shape.
05.25.08
Today we managed to capture photos of the pair of Golden Eagles that were so close we were very concerned about the cats on the deck becoming lunch. They are obviously a lifetime mated pair as we seldom see only one passing through, and the schedule is usually very much around the same time of day.We have a number of Common Nighthawks go through at dusk, but I have yet to capture on film. One night I saw twelve of them heading out for their nightly foraging, which was quite a site. If only I had my camera attached at the hip!
The URL attached to the Common Nighthawk name will give you an example of what you are hearing at dusk, not realizing what you hear.
