Watching this bald eagle dive down to get some fresh dinner out of the water is the perfect way to get into the 4th of July spirit.
I could watch our national bird go to town on fish all day long. I’ve probably seen 100 videos like this one, yet I never get tired of watching the majestic creature utilize all of its skills to scoop up fish with ease. It’s truly remarkable, and it’s always a showcase of how baldies are well-oiled fishing machines.
Bald eagles have some of the sharpest talons of all predatory birds, and their exceptional eyesight (which allows them to spot prey up to 2 miles away) really supports the phrase “eagled eyed.” That saying had to come from somewhere, didn’t it? Those two attributes paired together spell bad news for fish trying to live their lives just below the water’s surface.
And there might not be a person on planet Earth better at capturing bald eagles in action than Mark Smith, of Mark Smith Photography. I highly recommend that you give him a follow if you enjoy viewing action-packed bald eagle footage (that’s usually set to breathtaking orchestral music). In other words, if you are an American, you’ll like what Smith puts out.
You might as well call him the “Bald Eagle Whisperer” with all of the magnificent clips he gets of our national bird. This one has to be up there with some of his best work (maybe just beat out by this one of a flock of baldies) and his description of the footage explains what makes witnessing this fish-feeding in the rain so special:
“My gear took some serious punishment in the rain, but I couldn’t resist standing on the bow of the boat as I rocked in the rapids. The eagles didn’t care either. For them, the rain was just a break from the blazing sun. Fish, pushed to the surface by upwelling currents, make for easy targets. (This one was) eaten whole, on the fly. Why land when you rule the skies?”
Smith didn’t care that his camera gear was getting wet… he knew that this was a once in a lifetime (he seems to have a lot of those) shot that required intense focus and a willingness to not let the rain bother him. After all, it wasn’t bothering the bald eagle in the clip, and that’s why Mark Smith was there.
After the bald eagle successfully scooped the fish, it didn’t waste any time chowing down on its dinner in mid air. Check it out:
Absolutely majestic… hey Alexa, play “God Bless The U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood. I’m feeling patriotic after watching that video.
If that doesn’t get you fired up, I don’t know what will. I think I’ll just spend the rest of the day watching this stunning clip of our national bird scooping up a fish and then tossing it into its own mouth MID FLIGHT on repeat for the rest of the day. Hold all of my calls, and shoutout to Mark Smith Photography for always producing some of the best outdoor (specifically bald eagles in action) videos out there.
If you’re not familiar with Mark Smith, here’s more of his stunning work… give him a follow:
