Since coming to Alaska, I have spent a lot of time watching eagles glide gracefully in the sky or gaze knowingly from a perch. It is easy to see why they inspire so many. Sometimes I spot one while going about a mundane task and I am instantly pulled out of myself. Even though I now encounter these birds often they haven not lost their soul-stirring allure.
Until recently, I had not spent a lot time thinking about the eagle’s growing up journey. I am enamored by the relatable awkwardness of the juvenile eagle.
I recently had an opportunity to get to know these birds a bit better as I spent some time on the Kenai river surrounded by these kings of the sky.
As I floated down the river with my family we spotted pairs of eagles spaced out along the bank guarding their territory. Our guide shared with us some details about their family structure. After a pair of eagles bonds and breads they stay together co-parenting their young. Young eagles need all the help they can get.
Juvenile eagles are clumsy. The struggle to find food and are notoriously poor hunters.
This juvenile eagle spotted on the Kasolif River was attempting to eat a pretty easy dinner but the gulls kept invading.
On the bank of the Kasolif River, I watched eagle parenting in action. I observed a young eagle attempting to eat an easy meal. The poor guy was quickly surrounded by gulls edging in on his food. Eventually an older eagle swooped in and scattered the gulls. She then flew back to the other side of the bank and continued to watch the young eagle struggle from a careful distance.
Mom (or dad) swooped in to save the day.
As a parent and teacher I could relate to this momma eagle. It is hard to know when to sit back and watch our young struggle and when to swoop in. Eventually the fumbling young eagle must try to fend for itself. Before this happens, mom and dad fatten them up as much as possible instinctually knowing there will be many struggles when the young eagle sets off on its own. In a way that is what we do when we guide our young. We try to build enough supports that when they inevitably stumble they wont completely sink.
I am not sure how long the awkward juvenile eagle phase lasts for humans, but I also found this bumbling creature comically relatable. Perhaps our juvenile eagle stage is a bit cyclical. We are not solitary creatures. We all have the capacity to soar but alone will inevitably struggle. When in peace we are called to stand in confidence and watch out for those struggling, discerning when to jump in and when to stand back. It times of trial, our strength is sometimes best displayed when let ourselves be prepared for a journey that is sure to be full of pitfalls. When I spot an eagle soar my heart immediately lifts, but in life there are many moments when soaring seems beyond me. To that end, I find strange encouragement watching these symbols of strength stumble along in their own journey. There will be moments to soar, but also plenty of moments on the ground helping each other prepare to launch.