Now, ball games over, we resume with the eagles' June beach convocation.  

This was not the usual salmon-stream gathering in which eagles, standing in and along a stream, opportunistically eat live or dead spawning salmon. Here is an example (from August) of the usual salmon-stream gathering: One eagle tows a salmon carcass to shallows and stands on it while a disappointed contender flies away. 

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But in the June gathering, eagles rimmed the beaches at the tide line. They initially seemed content to gather on the rocks and shore, watching and waiting.

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But then birds at the water line became more active, dipping their heads into the water. Even on camera through the long lens (560mm) it wasn't clear whether they were successful and, if they were, what they were taking. They seemed to be taking something, small fish perhaps, but there was no time to examine images on the camera screen. There was too much happening at the water line. 

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Indeed, the images, examined on the computer monitor screen, eventually confirmed that the eagles had been taking small fish, probably juvenile Pacific Herring, since herring spawn on kelp and seaweed along shorelines. Auke Bay is traditionally a herring breeding ground, although less so in recent decades. The fish being taken seemed much smaller than full-grown herring. They're less likely to have been immature eulachon (or smelt), a small silvery fish, which instead spawn in rivers.

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At any rate, the eagles, especially the mature adults, were actively pursuing something, and stood tail-feather- and talon-deep in the tidal waters, periodically submerging their heads. At distance the prey was so small relative to the eagles' beaks it was never clear when an eagle had succeeded. On the computer screen, exact behavior and success were much more discernible. 

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Looking more gull than eagle:

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Disputes arose.  The immature eagle relinquished possession when the mature adult arrived. The dropped prey seemed to be lost to both.

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Studied or feigned indifference at close range, but possibly just preoccupation with watching for a possible target. 0M0A3926 0M0A4013

Not all captures were swallowed on the spot. Given the readily consumable size of the juvenile herring, it is likely this fish was to be shared, perhaps at a nest.

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There was surprising dexterity in handling prey in midair.

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