My Four Decades of Eagle Watching

The return of a legend is rarely a loud event. Usually, it’s a quiet shadow crossing the sun or a sudden rustle in the pines that you almost miss because you were looking too hard in the wrong direction.

The One That Got Away (1980s)

Back in the early 1980s, word started spreading through Tuscaloosa County that the bald eagles were back. They had been gone from the Black Warrior River for a long time, and the excitement was palpable. When sightings were reported near Lock 17, I knew I had to try my luck.

I hiked out to a bluff below the dam, camera in hand, and settled in for the long haul. It was a beautiful day of river watching. I saw heavy barges loaded with coal pushing slowly through the water, and empty ones riding high. I watched river otters play along the banks. It was peaceful, but it was “eagle-less.”

After hours of waiting, I finally admitted defeat. I packed my gear, zipped my bag, and stood up to stretch. The second I straightened my spine, a massive racket erupted in the tree directly behind me. I spun around just in time to see a magnificent bald eagle taking flight from a branch I hadn’t even noticed. By the time I fumbled my camera back out, he was a tiny, fading dot over the water.

I didn’t see another eagle on that river for decades.

The Homecoming (2025)

Fast forward to early 2025. I was driving home, minding my own business, when I passed a large bird perched in a tree about two miles from the house. I did a double-take—there was no mistaking that white head.

I didn’t miss the shot this time. I got out, captured the photo, and hurried home to tell my Mom. We drove back together, and to my delight, he was still there in the same spot, allowing us both to share in the moment. It felt like a forty-year-old debt had finally been paid.

Increasing Odds

The sightings have only picked up speed since then:

The Curve Near Campground Church: A few months after that homecoming sighting, I was rounding a bend in the road when my third bald eagle suddenly swept up from the pavement right in front of me.
The April Encounter (2026): Just this month, less than a mile from home, I witnessed a fourth encounter. This eagle wasn’t sitting peacefully; he was being “escorted” out of the neighborhood by a rowdy murder of crows.

A Hope for the Future

It has been a profound experience watching these birds reclaim their place in our Alabama landscape. Seeing them move from a rare, whispered-about legend at Lock 17 to a bird I might see on my afternoon drive is a testament to how nature can heal if given the chance.

My hope is that their numbers continue to climb, and that soon, seeing a bald eagle over the Black Warrior or near our homes won’t be a once-in-a-lifetime event, but a common joy for everyone.