EVERETT — Kent Hricziscse was relaxing on his deck on a hot sunny day last week when the attack began.
A bald eagle dove out of the sky, talons aimed at a family of ducks swimming on Silver Lake. The eagle missed, but wheeled around and tried again.
Hricziscse gasped, and ran for his camera. While Hricziscse clicked away, the duck family he had spent days observing from his lakeside house came under siege.
“The moms and dads, they mate for life — but dad hasn’t been around for a few weeks, so I think the babies are orphans — or at least fatherless,” the professional photographer said. “So mama was out taking them for their daily swim practice. I was out enjoying watching them, when out of nowhere was this eagle.”
The ducklings hid underwater, while mom squawked away. After several attempts, the eagle wrapped his talons around one of the ducklings and flew away.
“Bless her heart, mama duck came up and stared death in the face and was fighting that eagle with all she had,” Hricziscse said. “It was heartbreaking.”
Bald eagles routinely prey on ducks inland, but they are much more likely to focus on fish in Everett and other coastal areas, according to Craig Bartlett, spokesman for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292, kmanry@heraldnet.com.
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