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Stumpy the Eagle

Posted by Gerard Butler,
North Country explorer from New York, NY
June 1, 2017 —

I was kayaking on the lake shooting pictures of our resident Loons, when this massive eagle flew in and sat on a log. I just allowed my kayak to drift with the wind and we ended up about 30 feet apart, with Stumpy looking intensely at me, trying to figure out if he could carry me away for lunch, I think!
Stumpy had both blue and a steel leg bands, but his left foot is missing!

Comments

Gerard Butler

Had the date wrong. I shot this in 2017.

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Emlyn Crocker

Hi Gerard! We fixed the date so it now reads 2017. 

We love this photo - for it's clarity, intensity, and intrigue (where's his foot?) - and have showed it to a number of friends (photographers, scientists, and nature enthusiasts) over the past year. The best guess all around is that the eagle is actually tucking his foot back to give it a rest. Thanks again for sharing.

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Gerard Butler

I have several shots of him flying away and perching on a high branch. I've got good clarity of his feet. His left foot is definitely missing!

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