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| Bald Eagle along the Snake River |
By the time we got to Jackson, Wyoming, my guys and I were ready for some serious animal watching. Fortunately for us, we saw a beautiful bald eagle and some of his fledglings minutes into a Mad River early morning scenic float trip along the Snake River.
The only other time I’d ever seen a bald eagle was in captivity or as part of a trained bird act. What a difference being in the wild makes. These birds are so majestic and regal that it’s easy to see why they are such a wonderful symbol of our country.
(And pooh on Ben Franklin for wanting to make the wild turkey our national bird!)
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| Getting ready to fly |
As our Mad River Boat guide quietly led us along the more tame section of the Snake River (which originates in Yellowstone National Park), he pointed out an abandoned beaver dam . . .
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| Abandoned Beaver Dam |
. . . an eagle nest (which mating pairs will continue to improve upon and make larger as long as they live) . . .
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| Eagle nest high in a tree |
. . . and let my guys take a turn at paddling the raft. (Yes, we DID go in a relatively straight line!)
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| The guys paddling |
By the end of our journey, we had seen 16 bald eagles and imprinted their images into our memories.
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| A perfect predator high in the sky |
What a wonderful way to begin the morning!
