Caution: Don't Read if you are Squeamish about an Eagle's Sushi Lunch

We are happy to report that Denisa is still fever-free! It looks like whatever caused Mark's fever was not too contagious, because she would have surely gotten it by now. Prayers have been answered! Since Mark is still recovering from his bout with fever, we are looking for activities that are less intense than our usual long hikes into the mountains. Kayaking is a less rigorous exercise, and we found a nice lake at Beaver Creek.

As you can tell from the surface of the water, it was a little breezy when we started our first lap around the lake. But the beautiful skies convinced us that this was a good activity for today.

We headed to the far side of the lake, where we spotted an iconic white-headed bird high up in a giant pine tree.

We love watching bald eagles, and we could tell that this was a mature bird. His head was completely white, and his bill was completely yellow--two things that don't happen to a bald eagle until they reach maturity.

He didn't seem to mind that we circled under his tree near the water, taking pictures from different angles.

But he definitely knew that we were there, as he stared right down his beak at us many times.

After taking way too many eagle pictures, we started back on our trip around the lake. We hadn't noticed that the wind had subsided, and Beaver Creek Reservoir was now as smooth as glass.

We love exploring all the edges, as we rowed from the dam all the way to the point where the creek comes into the lake.

It was at this creek-side of the reservoir that we looked up into the tall trees, and spotted our eagle again. This time he was starting to eat his lunch. We don't know if you like sushi made of raw fish, but it looks like this eagle does.

As the title of this blog warned, don't look further is you are squeamish about eagles eating sushi!

We were a bit sad to know that we had missed the successful fishing dive. We've witnessed it several times, and seeing a large eagle diving into the water and coming up with a fish in his talons is such fun!

Speaking of talons, we got a good picture of those long, powerful talons still holding tightly to the flopping fish.

Sorry for all the graphic pictures, but we sat in the kayak right below that tree watching as he devoured every bit of that fish.

We have to say that he was a rather messy eater, and several times we could see pieces of fish fall from his perch on the tall branch. That got the attention of a group of crows, who were delighted to pick up the scraps he was dropping as they sat on the branch right below.

We're guessing that it is a little unnerving for that crow to have such a big and powerful bird looking down at him.

Now perfectly satisfied, our majestic friend is content to survey the world around him. 

Now that the sushi show is over, we are also content to finish up our kayaking. Besides, it looks like it could rain any time. We end the blog with a picture of Beaver Creek Reservoir taken when we first arrived with its ripply water and puffy white clouds dotting a blue sky.

At the end of our trip, we pointed the kayak in the same direction. We see now that the water is completely still, and the sky is completely clouded. These mountain lakes can certainly change their temperament quickly! In just the amount of time that it takes for an eagle to finish a sushi lunch, they can look completely different.