Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 07:06:04 -1000 From: Wespestad_Eric@pcp.ca (Eric Wespestad) Message-Id: <1995Aug31.170604.10135@pcp.ca> Organization: PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. Subject: Sharing the sky with a Golden Eagle... A brief little kite story from my recent vacation in Southern Alberta, Canada -- which I'd really like to share. On August 26th my family and I were travelling back to Calgary from Waterton National Park (which becomes Glacial National Park in the US) highway 22. This road is part of the "trail of the great bear", and is one of those fantastic scenic routes along the eastern edge of the Canadian Rockies. A little over half way home, we stopped at a little provincial park for a rest and some food. Of course, for me this was a great opportunity to fly one of my kites... I selected one of my favorites, a Crystal 2.5, a .5ft delta. I had been flying for about half an hour when I heard my wife screaming "bring the kite down now!", "quick, land now!". Surprised, I checked all around me to see what the problem was -- nothing obvious. Then I looked straight up and saw the problem. A beautiful golden eagle had decided that my kite was not something it wanted to share it's territory with -- and it was making very menacing maneuvers towards my kite. It had flown in from behind me, so I hadn't seen it. It was at least two thirds the width of the kite in wingspan! Not wanting it to get hurt (or my kite for that matter) I made the fastest landing I could -- which was straight down, hard, into some long grass. I thought that was it, until I saw that the eagle was still moving in on the downed kite -- hoping to finish it off I suppose. I had to run for the kite and start breaking it down. As soon as I did this it backed off. Needless to say that my family and the thirty odd people who were boating on the lake near by observed all of this. My comment was echoed by everyone close enough to hear me... "Wow". We stuck around and watched the bird for a while, but eventually it became too distant. At one point I figure the eagle was only 15ft away from the kite (just before I dived for the ground). That means that the eagle was probably only 70ft above the ground. I have too admit, that watching it fly was far better than flying a kite -- and for me, that's really saying something. Happy flying all... Eric Wespestad 403-268-6558 \ 510,100-10A St. N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4T3 o --|\ 708-799-2103 Fax: 708-798-7681 \== ---|/ 18545 Western Avenue, Homewood, IL 60430 USA \ / = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 13:06:39 -1000 From: fundrayzer@aol.com (Fundrayzer) Message-Id: <4283lv$ik3@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Sharing the sky with a Golden Eagle... Wow! Great Story! A memory for a lifetime. I always enjoy when birds come to "check out" my kites. They seem to be thinking, "Hmmm...what is this thing? Which new bird is in my terrirtory?" So far I've had a couple of small hawks, a nowy owl, a couple of ducks, a gull, and lots of smaller birds too. Once I flew near a big white pine and frightened off a huge (about 100 or so) roost of crows. But never had quite the experience you mentioned. I wonder if folks who fly kites that simulate birds have even more action? Pete = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =