Alachua County Eagles, Osprey and Snail Kites

For Lynn’s birthday, she wanted to take Eagle pics. So we arranged to spend the day with Dick Vautrinot on a lake in Alachua County known for many nesting pairs of Bald Eagles. And we definitely saw Eagles! From adults all the way to this years Eaglets that just started learning to fly. Mixed in with the Eagles were Osprey. There were quite a few males catching fish and then showing them off to any of the females nearby. But they need to watch out. Not only will the Eagles try to steal the fish, but also other Osprey. Finally as the day went on, we saw a lot of snail kites. They have recently started to populate the lake we were on and gave a spectacular show taking off searching for their target meal, Apple Snails.

One of the first Eagles we saw that day. There's so much Spanish Moss in the trees around the lake that make a gorgeous background

Bald Eagle eyeing the lake

A pair of Bald Eagles taking off from a tree top

Immature Bald Eagle rising up to land in a tree

You can see by the dark end of the beak that this is a very young Eagle

A sub-adult Bald Eagle banking in flight. You can see the head is starting to turn white

Sub-adult Bald Eagle came down to fish but pulled up as it neared the water

Bald Eagles defend their territory by locking talons in the air often resulting in upside down flight

This female Snail Kite looks a surprised to see us as we were to see her

Female Snail Kite on the look out

Snail Kite taking off very close to the boat

This male Osprey caught a fish and attempts to leave with it…

Attempting to take off with its fish, but wait. Is that another Osprey nearby? …

And the chase is on! See the fish tail under the tail feathers of the lead Osprey?

Better hurry up! The talons are coming down for the steal attempt

It’s a close race, but the Osprey with the fish wins and gets to keep its meal

“The bird that never moves” sitting in its usual spot. But what’s that going on behind us?

It seems an immature Bald Eagle caught a fish and got the attention of another immature looking to take it away.

You can see the fish tucked up tight in the talons right under the tail feathers on the lower Eagle

The would be thief lowers its talons to go for the steal…

The Eagle with the fish moves it forward away from the thief as it sinks its talons into its back

Oh no! The fish slipped out of it talons!

The Eagle’s yelling, the fish is yelling and everyone ended up empty taloned

After the Eagle action, we came across another female Snail Kite

The Snail Kite landed on a root as it rested for more hunting

Female Snail Kite rising up to land in a branch high up above the lake

This female Snail Kite looks pretty happy

Snail Kite taking off

Female Snail Kite resting on a low branch

Juvenile Snail Kite. Males and females look similar when they’re young. The males turn almost black while the females get lighter when they mature

Snail Kite racing an Ibis, and winning!

Snail Kite taking off

The branch this Snail Kite was on seems too small to hold it up

Snail Kites have red eyes that glow in the right light. You can start to see the red as this one flys by

You can see the red eyes even better here

Another take off into beautiful light

Female Snail Kite with a mouth full of Apple Snail

Snail Kite resting on a stump right above the water

Taking off right straight at us on the boat

Freshly caught Apple Snail

Snail Kite lift off with an Apple Snail

Flying right at us with an Apple Snail

Snail Kite getting almost too close!

Female Snail Kite in gorgeous light

Look at that wingspan as it banks

Snail Kite sitting in the trees

Taking off to go hunting

Male Snail Kite turning towards us

Male Snail Kite flying at us with his glowing red eyes

This male Snail Kite is not quite fully mature. He still has some of the lighter markings mixed in with the black adult coloring

Look how the sunlight makes that eye glow red

As he flys past, the male Snail Kite turns and looks right at me

Female Snail Kite resting close to the water as the sun gets lower in the sky

Snail Kite taking off

Female Snail Kite getting back into the air

Sitting above all of the Snail Kite action were these adult Bald Eagles

As we headed in, this sub-adult Bald Eagle made a pass out over the lake

Wow! What a great day! We saw so much beautiful wildlife in an “Old Florida” setting. We need to conserve areas like this throughout the state so that we can enjoy nature undisturbed with great people like we did today. If you want to tour the lake like we did, check out Dick Vautrinot at dvwildlife.com