A bald eagle could have thought it noticed a simple lunch in a Canada goose sitting on an icy bay in Burlington, Ont., however in accordance with Mervyn Sequeira — who watched and photographed a 20-minute battle between the 2 birds — the goose held its personal.
Throughout his weekly Sunday morning household hike on the LaSalle Marina, Sequeira and his household witnessed a uncommon occasion — a battle between the nationwide hen of the U.S. and the enduring Canadian animal.
“We have been there, and we noticed this bald eagle coming in and entering into to assault a Canada goose that was on the ice,” the 74-year-old instructed CBC Hamilton.
Sequeira is a retired airline captain who has been photographing Canadian wildlife since he arrived to Canada from Goa, India, 30 years in the past. He captured the eagle-goose battle along with his digicam on Feb. 23.
The bald eagle made “a number of makes an attempt” to assault the goose, Sequeira mentioned.
“Once we thought that it was actually over for the goose, surprisingly, the bald eagle simply gave up and left,” mentioned Sequeira, who’s from Oakville, Ont.
“The goose was spared that day.”
‘That is how nature works’
Sequeira mentioned whereas he does not like stepping into politics, he discovered the encounter “very symbolic.”
“I solely posted [the pictures to social media] by way of what occurred, not placing a political spin on it. Nevertheless, there have been heaps of people that checked out it within the political context,” he mentioned.
Sequeira mentioned, from his perspective, “that’s how nature works.”
“However we’re dwelling in a barely polarized world simply now, so some folks checked out it otherwise.”
The battle between the birds occurred not lengthy earlier than U.S. President Donald Trump launched a trade war with Canada. This week, he moved forward with long-threatened 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian items. Trump’s options that Canada is so depending on the U.S. that it ought to change into the 51st state has additionally strained the connection.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit again, asserting fast retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion price of American items.
“To the American folks, we do not need this,” Trudeau mentioned throughout a Tuesday morning information convention. “We need to work with you as a good friend and ally and we do not need to see you harm both, however your authorities has chosen to do that to you.”
Trudeau mentioned Canadians “are united in figuring out that that is the time to hit again onerous and show {that a} battle with Canada may have no winners… The earlier we will get previous this battle… the higher we’ll all be.”
Hen seemed to be unwell, says photographer
Bald eagles will not be a brand new sight in Burlington. The primary eagles to hatch on the Canadian facet of Lake Ontario in 50 years did so on the Royal Botanical Gardens in 2013. One other pair of eaglets were born at the RBG in 2023. The RBG instructed CBC Hamilton the bald eagle inhabitants is rising, however the RBG solely knew of 1 hen to be primarily based regionally, in close by Cootes Paradise.
The Canada goose, rather more generally noticed, seemed to be sick, Sequeira mentioned, which he thinks is why the bald eagle selected it as prey. He mentioned it is common in winter for eagles to show to sick waterfowl when the ice makes it more durable to catch fish.
Sequeira mentioned the goose was unstable on its ft and its head saved swinging “very very similar to an individual could be if an individual had had vertigo.”
Sequeira mentioned he is by no means seen something just like the encounter he captured final month.
“We see bald eagles going for fish. We see bald eagles going after smaller geese often,” he mentioned.
“But it surely’s fairly uncommon to see a bald eagle taking up a Canada goose, and in all my years, that is the primary time I’ve seen it.”
The way in which nature balances itself is “fascinating,” mentioned Sequeira.
“Eagles, for example, or coyotes are there to take out the sick and likewise to take care of a steadiness in numbers,” he mentioned.
“A few of us don’t perceive [it] however that is the way in which nature works. And I simply take pleasure in nature.”
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