Eagles in wind

Out onto the streets again for my morning walking commute. Saturday we saw record breaking local temperatures of up to 60 degrees, but by this morning they'd driven down hard. The twenties feel far colder after a spell of warm weather, and on top of that the wind is blowing so fiercely the weather service issued a warning. I'm not sure what the warning was, probably something about how likely one is to get something in one's eye. I have long lashes and am hoping that will be enough to protect me.

So, let's face it, I'm cold out there. The wind is blowing hard and my jaw has gone numb. But I have decided not to worry about myself. I suspect I'll be fine. It's the eagles. What about the eagles?


There are the bald eagles of Minneapolis, tossing wildly about over the river. The mighty wind ruffles their feathers. Without even a twitch of their broad wings they surge a hundred feet up into the sky. They tilt precariously left. They tilt precariously right. They plummet and then are thrown upstream at a hair raising clip. Is it fun? Is it cold? Is it terrifying, or is it a day in the park? How do the eagles feel about this weather?

This is one of the easiest things in the world to forget, it is easy enough to forget in considering any number of groups of people, but perhaps even more so, if it's possible, it is supremely easy to forget with animals. Indeed it is nearly automatic to do so. These are the dangers of science. 

So then...

How do the eagles feel about this weather?



It depends on the eagle.