Wings on the weather

It was blowing over the Bay at about 25 MPH. Stiff, not enough to stop you from a walk. The walk would be hard. There were birds out doing their work. Even in much rougher conditions the birds are out. The Gulls are always out. I saw gulls flying in 50 MPH and higher. Just a bit closer to the bluffs. Maybe using what the cliff wall had to offer as cover. Out the gulls are. The gulls seem to be made for any condition. By bird standard as I know them, 25 MPH was just an inconvenience. Not enough to stop the days work. Just enough to make that work a little harder than it is everyday.
Today I was looking out over our Bay, just watching the white caps. Knowing I was glad it was my day off the bike. Knowing how much harder the ride would have been today. Looking at what this wind storm had to offer. Not so far out, there were 2 working birds. They were big enough to see by the naked eye. Dots staying in one area. Just going over and over this one piece of the Bay. I knew these working birds were on the big side. I got the 10X50 Bushnell's off the 5'X6' window sill. There are 3 of these windows. Taking up the entire wall of the family room we spend most of our time in. It faces out on the west looking out over the a grand view. The Bay, Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountain Range, Port Townsend, Port Hudson, Point No Point, Double Bluff State Park and more. It's really quite a view. Magnificent is an under statement. There these birds were. Working on the hard side. As if there was a cat and mouse game going on. Life and death is more like it. Life for the birds spent energy on the back of a fish. Survival of someone in this moment. The birds were spending a lot of their energy cash on the effort. Now looking through the Bushnell's I could see the drama clear. It was our neighbors. A beautiful mated pair of Bald Eagles. These huge fish eagles live just south of the house in the furs on the neighbors property. We see them everyday. They fly by eye high. Right near the deck. Every detail of their enormous self's in plain view. Looking over at us! It's just chilling to my soul to be a part of this. Everyday I am privileged to be in these great eagles world.
The hunt was going on and on. Circling the same area. Never the 2 far from each other. When one turned and was swept back to the un-seen start over area the other was soon to be there. Always in the sight of my binoculars. I could always see these 2 together in the sight of the Bushnell's. They were that close. Splash, a strike. In a moment the diver comes up empty. So much energy for nothing. Splash another strike. Out of the water and empty again. This process of circling and striking went on for a long time. I had lost my sense of time. Just the drama. Time and effort of the players. This was the time of the moment. Strike with a huge splash. The eagle was in the water, not getting out. I was hoping for a fish dinner in the talons. So much effort. The hunt seemed to be a bit desperate. The water here is cold. The wind was 40 degrees. This had to be taking it's toll on the eagles. Empty again. I saw this cycle several more times. The eagles never varied from the hunting area. It was the same piece of water time and time again. There are limits even to the energy of these monarchs of the bluffs. The circles seemed to be faster. Less organized and smooth. The effort was taking it's toll. That is how it looked to this human. Strike and in the the cold rough water again. This time for what seemed like a very long time. I thought that was it. The eagle was going down for good. The struggle was obvious even from the distance through my binoculars. This was a desperate life threatening moment. With fearful, by human standards, effort the striking eagle slowly rises up and out of the cold bay waters to just inches about the water. Talon's still in the water. It's mate circling right over it's head. Inches not feet. It was a fight for life. This was it. There was a fish down in the water fixed to striking eagle's hooks. It had to be big or the eagle was tired. Ready to hand off this hope for their survival. Finally the striking eagle comes fully out of the water. The fish was enormous. The catch was almost the same size as the eagle's body. Just huge! Now the obviously tired eagle with the catch of the day worked to make it's way to the shore line. A good mile away. It's mate so close they were almost bumping into each other. All the eagle with the fish could do was just stay above the water using the pressure of the air between the wings and the water. It's known as ground effect flight. Almost not flight. If not for the pressure of the water against the wing of this wondrous bird it would crash into the water and lose the one hope for food in this day. The one hope for fuel to replenish from the enormous effort. Just above the water. The catch was dragging in the water. It seemed impossible this catch would see shore. The effort was herculean. The struggle was obvious. It let go the fish to keep from crashing into the waves. The relief of it's toil done. It did not even try to re-catch the meal. The partner flung itself into the water where the fish was dropped. Wings extended head up, reaching as deep as it could to stay alive. That's how important the meal was on this day. Slowly the second eagle, now wet and cold, rose out of the water. The same fish attached to it's talon's. It's mate so spent it had flown to shore. No where to be seen. Alone the second eagle began to fly as the other. Just above the water using the extra power of ground effect to fly to the shore. Magnificent is all I can say. Just with every last bit of power. All that there was left in the energy tank. Running on empty the second eagle forced itself to the shore. Dragging the catch almost it's own size partly in the water. It was going to make shore. I am still over come by the strength it took for both these great Bald Eagles to do this. To write the hunt. My hands are shaking. Bless these fine neighbor. I am so lucky to have been a witness. I will always remember when I toil, the effort, the pure power of my magnificent neighbors.