Bald Eagle Sightings in Essex

Bald Eagle in Essex, NY (Credit: Clarice Pulsifer)

We recently received a remarkable close-up photo of a Bald Eagle taken in Essex, NY by Clarice Pulsifer. Here’s her story:

This photo was taken from my car window at the end of January. My husband and I were on Main Street heading towards Whallons Bay when we saw this eagle. There were four altogether, and I was very excited to get such a good photo. Since that day we have seen 6 more Bald Eagles (in a row).

We have been watching them for a few years now down in Essex and enjoy their beauty. They started showing up in late December this winter and it wasn’t until January when they showed the year before. We’ve seen both mature and immature Bald Eagles, and it has been wonderful seeing them so freely flying and often landing in trees by the ferry dock. ~Clarice Pulsifer

Bald Eagles are a very majestic bird of prey, although not the only type to live in or visit our region. There are many species of raptors that you may see flying our skies or resting in a tree, including varieties falcons, hawks, harriers, eagles, and osprey. (Learn more about them here: Raptors of New York.)

For me, the Bald Eagle is by far the easiest to identify when you can’t get a close look because of their obvious white-feathered heads and bright yellow beaks. I’ve also often seen them around Whallons Bay, though no sightings for me yet this year.

Last year we had several people send us photos and stories of Bald Eagle sightings around Essex. See those photos and read about them here: “Bald Eagles in Essex.”

Here is another wonderful recent photo that was shared with us:

Bald Eagles floating on ice in Lake Champlain (Credit: Rebecca Palmer)

“Rebecca Palmer took this picture on Feb 6th. We saw 5 eagles that day, she captured 3 of them. And my clients who live on the shoreline are reporting many eagles flying back & forth all day, including up at the tip of Willsboro Bay!” ~Melissa Maki

I wonder if those eagles are fishing or hunting ducks?

Share Your Experiences

Have you had any recent sightings of Bald Eagles in or near Essex? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments!

Or better yet if you’ve taken any photos or video footage we’d love to add it as an addition to this post! Contact us here or email us directly at editor [AT] essexonlakechamplain [DOT] com if you have any that you’d like to share.

A Bald Eagle Resurgence [Video] (guardianlv.com)
Bald Eagle Breakfast (rosslynredux.com)
Split Rock Wildway: Protecting Biological Riches (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Bald Eagles in Essex (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Where is the Split Rock Wildway? (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Timber Rattlesnake Safari (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Birders Flock to Essex-Charlotte Ferry Channel (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Facebook or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.