bald eagles

well...we saw something last evening i never thought we would.  we were sitting on a friend's back deck enjoying a warm, early spring evening when someone of us looked up and said, "look at those buzzards...."

i looked up and, startled, saw not buzzards but bald eagles, two, soaring and racing through the tall trees at the back of the house.  we were in north wilmington not far from the delaware river, but in a decidedly urban area.  these two, however, were oblivious - they were in a mad mating frenzy, dancing and diving above us for minutes, long enough for us to see their white heads and tails plainly, several times, in the gathering dusk.  there was no mistaking them for any other.

i doubt anybody else in the vicinity saw them...or would have known what they were looking at if they had, but bald eagles are the only big birds on this continent with white heads and tails.  there was no doubt.  it was a great moment.