Searching for Eagles

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There were six of us on that trip down an Alaskan river. We left the cruise ship in gathering excitement as we went to view wildlife in the wilderness. Many eagles might be seen on this day trip we were told. On other shore trips we split up choosing various jaunts: viewing Mendenhall Glacier, riding a cable car up a mountain to see Juneau from above, trekking a rain forest and more. But we’d chosen to go together on this excursion to see Alaskan wildlife up close.

We were all over sixty except my niece who was an avid wildlife enthusiast and was particularly looking forward to seeing eagles. She is a very compassionate and thorough advocate for the needy, a busy social worker by profession. Others of us were a chemist, a day care director, an English professor, a veterinarian and yours truly, all family.

Even in July, it was cold when we left the bus and walked to the dock. We were glad for the ponchos we were given and somewhat dubious about the life jackets. Did we really need these? We joked and teased each other as we settled in the boat.

The water looked like what my mother called bluejohn, weak fat-free milk. The guide explained it was glacier water and added that the river was very shallow and that there were many sand bars. He assured us he knew how to navigate around them though they weren’t visible in the milky water. He then began to describe what we would see as we went down the river.

We would see elk and moose, maybe a bear–and eagles. “Look into the treetops,” he said. “There are many eagles in Alaska, and this is one of the best places to see them in their natural habitat.”

My niece had binoculars. She scanned the treetops. We all looked eagerly for the sight of a big-eared moose or an elk with mighty antlers. Every little movement on the shore, a tree branch shifting or a wave lapping, caused an intake of breath. Was that….? But no, it wasn’t.

The guide repeatedly urged us to look at the treetops, study the foliage by the stream. We would see wildlife, he assured us. The group before us had seen three eagles, a moose, and even a bear. Our chemist suggested that maybe the group before us had scared the animals away. We all laughed and the guide admonished us saying we might ourselves be scaring them away.

Our veterinarian began plying the guide with questions about the habits of the animals. Did they usually come out earlier in the morning? Were they not intimidated by the air boat of strangers?

My niece squealed that she’d spied an eagle’s nest. But there was no eagle in sight. The guide maneuvered around yet another sand bar and said, with what I thought was a shade of panic, that we would certainly see some wildlife around the next curve.

There were more eagles’ nests. But no eagles. I decided seeing a huge sprangly nest high in a wind scarred tree was really pretty wonderful. Our English professor began to quote Emily Dickinson: “Hope is the thing with feathers…” Our day care director commented that probably the mothers were all with their babies for a much-needed nap.

We came to the bend where we were to turn around. The guide said, trying to sound positive, “We’ll see something on the way back.”

We did see something. We saw the gray, lowering sky, the milky quiet river, and the same eagles’ nests we’d seen before, none of which seemed occupied. We arrived back at the dock, six disappointed explorers.

Steaming mugs of hot chocolate, jovial hostesses, and an adventurous camaraderie amongst our six helped assuage our disappointment. The chemist and the veterinarian asked enough questions of the hostesses to fill a book. When the bus came for us, we were jabbering as if we’d seen at least six eagles, all of us except our eagle-seeking niece, that is.

Back at the ship, after a lovely dinner, our niece excused herself to go walk the decks as she always did. She didn’t mind the cold wind and was intent on seeing as much as she could on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. She returned to us literally bouncing with excitement. As she stood at the prow of the ship, she said, an eagle lit only thirty or so feet from her and perched there for several minutes. As it was, she saw many more eagles on other excursions, but that one was most memorable.

We all searched but only the one most persistent actually saw an eagle that day.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

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Published on May 18, 2024 12:09
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