Allie Raye Media

OMG OMG! What a wild ride, and I’m super stoked to share. On my way home what unfolded was nothing short of utterly ridiculous. I pulled over, thinking I was about to witness a clash between an eagle and a hawk, again, but boy was I wrong. Instead, I was treated to a jaw-dropping sight - a Golden Eagle hovering and windsurfing above me, its majestic presence leaving me totally awestruck. I mean, goldens are known for using the wind to soar higher and save energy when on a hunt, but still, it was pretty cool. I have never this in real life. Although my camera settings weren’t ideal, resulting in a dark bird, I was convinced it was a juvenile bald eagle until I uploaded the image to Lightroom and the distinctive RED NAPE revealed its true identity. I consulted Merlin multiple times, my disbelief slowly giving way to a quiet squeal. As someone who’s deeply passionate about finding and photographing golden eagles and peregrine falcons, this encounter has left me feeling like I just got a new, shiny, red bike 🙂. I’m basically on cloud nine, minus the cloud, because I’m still trying to wrap my head around this insane sighting. I mean, who needs coffee when you’ve got golden eagles doing aerial stunts outside your car window?