Why Are So Many Eagles Being Seen Along the Black River?

If you live or travel along the Black River there may seem to be an unusual amount of Eagles congregating together. Why? Who better to ask than our wildlife photog and eagle expert, William Straite.

Even William admits to seeing more of the majestic birds than usual. On a recent outing he stopped counting at forty-four of them sitting in two trees.

One came down out of the trees, started eating, let out a yelp, and then I never imagined witnessing what I did.

During the summer months there are plenty of places for eagles to nest and find food. But with most of the northeast stuck in this polar vortex, so much of the Black River is frozen, eagles now have a shortage of perching spots and fishing holes.  William says while they still use their primary nests, now they forage for dead deer hit by cars or any other animals they can find. It's become somewhat of "survival of the fittest" when it comes to feasting on food, with William even witnessing an Eagle snatch a bluebird in his back yard.

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William captured some amazing photos as the battle raged over the carcass of a dead deer. And when a man who has shot wildlife photography since he was a teenager calls them, "something I will probably never witness to this extent again," amazing falls short of being an apt description. Check them out below.