The Bald Eagles were coot hunting on the Mississippi River today (pool 8). Although these eagles were quite a distance out on the river (sorry for the quality), I was able to snap off a few photographs of a juvenile dropping a coot and another juvenile catching it in mid-flight with its talons. I quite often see coots being dropped by eagles and then recovered by other eagles giving chase, but this was the first time I have seen them actually catch the falling prey.

Two adult Bald Eagles are chasing the juvenile eagle with the coot.

The juvenile (upper right) is about to drop the coot.

As the coot is dropped by the upper juvenile, the lower juvenile moves in for the catch.

The lower juvenile now has the coot.

—Alan Stankevitz