Bald eagle spotted by High Desert residents in Spring Valley Lake preying on a smaller bird

McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press
·1 min read

Multiple High Desert residents captured photos of a bald eagle in Spring Valley Lake on Tuesday, May 7.

David Davidson spotted the apex aviator on the west side of the lake and snapped photos of the eagle taking a talon dip in the lake.

Ed Henry commented on the High Desert Wildlife Facebook page that he spotted the same eagle from the Mojave Riverwalk east of Victor Valley College.

Natalie Ortiz shared screenshots from the Spring Valley Wildlife page of photos and a video taken by Gilbert Ortiz on May 7 of the same eagle capturing and eating a smaller bird on the lakeshore.

A bald eagle taking a dip in Spring Valley Lake on Tuesday, May 7
A bald eagle taking a dip in Spring Valley Lake on Tuesday, May 7
The eagle eating a smaller bird at Spring Valley Lake on Tuesday, May 7
The eagle eating a smaller bird at Spring Valley Lake on Tuesday, May 7

The next day, Heather Wilkinson had a rendezvous with the feathered predator as she was on a run with her dogs along the Mojave River bottom. "Thank god I caught hold of them before we saw this beauty," she commented, along with zoomed-in photos of the eagle.

A photo of the bald eagle that Heather Wilkinson captured during a run with her dogs along the Mojave River bottom.
A photo of the bald eagle that Heather Wilkinson captured during a run with her dogs along the Mojave River bottom.
The eagle graces the water while clutching a smaller bird in its talons
The eagle graces the water while clutching a smaller bird in its talons

The eagle seems to be a Spring Valley Lake local, at least recently. The online community shares stories of other recent bald eagle encounters under Davidson's post and many are convinced that this is the same eagle that ate a duck in the area two weeks ago.

There hasn't been a sighting of the hungry eagle this week yet.

Contact the Daily Press or McKenna directly at mmobley@gannett.com with more wildlife sightings and a chance for your photography to be featured in the paper.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Photos of bald eagle captured by residents in Spring Valley Lake