Maggie's Farm

Bird Dog, I have seen golden eagles migrating at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in eastern Pennsylvania. They are the last of the great raptor migrations each fall, mostly passing through in late October and throughout November. They are mighty birds of prey.

More interestingly, my late father frequently saw one soaring on clear summer days one summer about fifteen years ago. I was visiting him in his back yard in Central Pennsylvania one day and he pointed out a large raptor soaring high above us. We watched through binoculars for three quarters of an hour, it never once flapped its wings, riding the thermals. At one point it dropped low enough we could clearly identify it by the naked eye, it had a huge wingspan, nearly seven feet.

I reported it to Hawk Mountain staff, they said it was impossible, goldens don't summer this far south. But we saw it many times all summer, so maybe this bird just didn't like Canadians or something :)