A Short Reflection on Eagles

Photo by Manoj Balotia on Unsplash

I went out in the kayak a little while ago, last hour of sunlight, perfectly still evening water. Earlier I’d been sitting on the dock, chatting on FaceTime with Nils. I’d commented that there were sure a lot of fishing boats out. Just then I saw a fish jump out of the water. And then another. I said, “It’s too bad Dad’s golfing tonight. It looks like a good time for fishing.” 

Not much later, I was enjoying my leisurely kayak, when an eagle caught my eye just off shore in a tree. She was massive. (Female eagles tend to be bigger, so I’m guessing.) I watched her for a while. Not sure if she was watching me. And then with a swoosh that eagle took flight right over my head. And I thought, there are places in this world, right here in our own country—I read about it once in an essay—where people wait for days to see just one eagle. And for us here on our lake in Minnesota, it’s common. 

So common I saw five more in matter of minutes. One was sitting on a dead branch, low to the water. I drifted under that tree, close as I dared, and just sat there for a minute. The bird was smaller, but even so it was a breathtaking experience. And then, as I began my paddle back toward home I looked up and would you believe it? Four more eagles clustered together, enjoying the view from my neighbor’s tree. 

I wondered if it might have been those fish jumping out of the water, and the lure of a ready supper. 

One evening a couple of summers ago Kyle and I were out fishing. Which is to say I was reading a book. Anyway. That day Kyle had decided he’d try for a bass. He had a new lure and whatever else he’d YouTubed. Nothing apparently that tempted the fish. And then all of a sudden an eagle swooped down right next to our boat and snatched a bass right out of the water. Goodness, I laughed. Ever since Kyle has stuck to catching crappies and sunnies. 

After seeing all those eagles tonight, I decided I needed to come inside and write it all down. I didn’t want to forget. I don’t want to take it for granted. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how important it is to appreciate all of this. All of it. The birds and the green and the sunsets over our evening water. I worry sometimes that I should be busier. I should be more productive. When really all I need to be is grateful.