The major migration of bald eagles has arrived at the Rio Grande. They come, presumably, from points north, and always show up in mid-December … which, I’m guessing, is when the northern waters have started to ice up. The Rio Grande is relatively ice-free in the winter, which also attracts bunches of northern ducks. The eagles hunt those ducks, along with fish. They are readily seen along the river from Velarde upstream to the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, which stretches to the Colorado border. The Orilla Verde stretch of the Monument, which begins in the vicinity of Pilar and ends 6 miles upstream at Taos Junction Bridge, is where I habitually see the greatest concentration of eagles. Eagles are also often spotted along the Racecourse stretch, downstream of Pilar (see map at end of post). The following photos were all taken yesterday (12-20-19) in Orilla Verde.
About Evensteven
I am a photographer and author, and live in Embudo, New Mexico, alongside the Rio Grande. I have published a book of photography and accompanying text on running the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The first (print) edition is out of print, but a second edition is available as an iBook (eBook) through the iTunes bookstore. All Grand Canyon, river and nature lovers will enjoy my book:
The Grand: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-grand/id672492447
I have also published six additional iBooks:
1. The Salt River: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-salt-river/id12449222822.
2. Coyote Buttes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/coyote-buttes/id1271773201
3. Four Cornered, the Land: https://books.apple.com/us/book/four-cornered/id1384038899
4. Four Cornered, The Rivers: https://books.apple.com/us/book/four-cornered-book-two-the-rivers/id1402287568
5. Rio Marañon: https://books.apple.com/us/book/four-cornered-book-two-the-rivers/id1402287568
6. Rio Grande: https://books.apple.com/us/book/rio-grande-new-mexico/id1469126321
BelieveSteve (StevenRichardMiller) 