Go in search of bald eagles close to home
‘ Tis the season. … for getting a good look at a bald eagle, that is. These large birds are fisheaters. When the lakes up north get shuttered over with a thick coating of ice, it forces many bald eagles down to the greater metropolitan area that we call home. A very short drive can deliver you to some prime eagle-watching areas. Lake Hefner and Arcadia Lake are but two of those close-in eagle viewing areas.
Yet another advantage in our favor is the fact that the trees have shed their leaves. This unmasks any bald eagles that might be perched on the limb of a shoreline tree.
Some of the bald eagles you will see are those that have the distinctive white head and white tail. The trickier aspect of eagle watching is that nonmature eagles sport brown heads and brown tails.
You might see some eagles in flight. I'd advise you to bone up on how to distinguish vultures from eagles. Both are large birds of about the same size. If the wings are held out flat, the chances are good that it is an eagle. Vultures hold their outstretched wings in an upward-pointing “V.”
Your goal will be to see one bald eagle. There is no real need for you to observe a dozen of the same. Patience and persistence will be your watchwords. The reward will be the satisfaction of knowing that you experienced the good fortune of seeing a “real world” example of our national bird — not some pixelated version on a television screen. What better treat is there than that?