The eagles of Onondaga Lake

http://photos.syracuse.com/syracusecom_photo_essays/2011/01/bald_eagles_on_onondaga_lake.html
It’s been a few years since observers noticed bald eagles wintering in large numbers at the southern tip of the lake, where the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant releases treated water. The warm outflow, significantly cleaner than it used to be, creates a patch that never freezes. Two years ago, at least 15 bald eagles showed up to hunt for fish. A year ago, in a milder winter, the number shrank to a handful of birds — mainly because the eagles could easily find other bodies of open water.
Now, in this fierce winter, the numbers have grown especially high. Steve Bray, a sanitary engineer at the treatment plant, has counted as many as 22 eagles along the shoreline at one time. Last week, about 15 eagles were visible on the ice or in the air when Bray and Marty Voss, a county water quality official, visited a restricted area near the outlet with a writer and photographer from The Post-Standard.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/the_eagles_of_onondaga.html

Love bird pics.

I saw some eagles at Montezuma several years ago. Amazing birds. So huge!