Becker Valley, California

Bald eagles have made a dramatic recovery from near extinction in California. They can now be found over most of the state. This sighting was pure chance. I was driving along a back road near Bitterwater when an eagle passed by me about 100 feet from the road. Needless to say, I stopped to watch as it flew back to this large oak tree, where I discovered it had a nest of youngsters that it was feeding and teaching to fly and fend for themselves. I watched and photographed for quite some time while they played, performed aerial acrobatics, and chased rodents and other birds. A wonder of nature.