I love birds! In fact, that sentence is probably an understatement. Quite a few years ago, I became very interested in birding, partly through Nature Friend. Reading through bird guides became a favorite pastime of mine. Slowly I learned about, looked for, photographed, and identified more and more species.
My family enjoys birds as well, and we love looking for them together. Whenever we go on a trip, we always try to find spots to admire God’s wonderful creation, especially birds.
One day in January, we decided to try out a new bird trail. The trail circled a marshy area near the beach—a haven for birds and birders alike. We enjoyed our stroll, and I tried “chasing” the numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers in hopes of getting a good photo of one. We were also delighted to encounter a Bewick’s Wren, Townsend’s Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, phoebes, and a variety of shorebirds.
At one point in our walk, we got into a conversation with a fellow birder. She told us that although we had come at a good time, the tide was really low, and we should see the trail at high tide, when the water came up much closer to the boardwalk. She said people sometimes see Bald Eagles here, which thrilled us, because we love Bald Eagles.
As we prepared to leave this lovely trail, we spotted a majestic Osprey perched on top of a sailboat. What a beautiful ending to the lovely day! I was already hoping we could come again at high tide.
A few days later, the opportunity presented itself. High tide was approaching, and we were free for the day, so we jumped into the car, eagerly awaiting our next birding adventure on our newly found trail. I was especially hoping for a Bald Eagle. We had seen eagles occasionally before, but they are just such stately and magnificent creatures that we are always eager to see them.
We had just pulled into the parking lot when a car drove past us, slowed, and a man inside yelled, “There’s a Bald Eagle in that tree over there!”
What?!? We dashed toward the tree. The splendid bird was at the very top of a cypress, and we were able to stand almost right beside the tree.
What a picturesque moment! The bright blue of the sky contrasted beautifully with the dark emerald hues of the cypress, and on top of the tree was the elegant bird with its strikingly white head.
Eagerly I began taking pictures. However, to my dismay, my camera shutter started acting strangely. It was taking hundreds of pictures without my consent. I prayed that the Lord would fix my camera so I could get good photos of this amazing eagle.
God answered my prayer, and my camera resumed its normal function! Our friend the eagle stayed for the better part of forty-five minutes. It was one of the most glorious moments in God’s creation, standing in the warm sunshine and closely observing this gorgeous bird. And then, in a fleeting moment, he took flight, and that was the end of this extraordinary encounter with an eagle.
We were in awe of God’s majesty for the rest of the day! Slowly, almost reluctantly, we moved away from the cypress tree. We enjoyed several other special bird sightings, including a quick sighting of a Common Yellowthroat, and a large group of hundreds of Long-billed Curlews, but none quite compared to the eagle.
After several happy hours in God’s creation had passed, the evening chill began creeping into the air, reminding us it was time to leave. But the day we had the best eagle sighting would remain a very special memory! All praise to our mighty Creator!
