Bald Eagles and Fishing Birds at Charleston Lake

I arrived at Charleston Lake in Charleston, Arkansas, a few minutes before sunrise yesterday (January 18, 2025). The temperature was 15 degrees. I parked near the earthen dam, a spot that’s delivered great photo opportunities for me over the years. I photographed this same area on a previous visit, documented in Charleston City Lake Birds on a Cold Morning. I stayed in my truck, set my bean bag on the open window frame, and got my gear ready.

When the light improved enough to see, I spotted a Great Blue Heron on the west side of the dam. I’m sure this is the same individual I always seem to find here. The light wasn’t strong enough to photograph it yet, but watching it gave me something to do. A few minutes later, a Belted Kingfisher landed nearby and began chattering. Still not enough light for a shot. This bird teases me every time I see it at this lake. It shows up in low light, then disappears when conditions improve. It did exactly that again this morning.

Bald Eagles Before Sunrise

I watched Bald Eagles flying over the lake before the sun came up. I counted 20, then stopped counting because they kept streaming by. They were flying from south to north. A few landed in trees on the far side of the lake from where I was parked.

Wildlife Notes

Bald Eagles often gather at lakes and rivers during winter, attracted by open water and fish concentrated in smaller areas. Charleston Lake has a healthy population of shad and other fish species, making it a reliable hunting ground. Eagles will sometimes roost overnight in nearby trees, then begin hunting flights at dawn when fish are more active near the surface. The south-to-north flight pattern I observed suggests they were moving between roosting areas and feeding zones somewhere to the north, maybe the Arkansas River. In midwinter, I’ve seen as many as 30–40 eagles flying past this lake on a single morning.

Seeing multiple eagles in one area usually means the food source is abundant. They’re opportunistic and will also scavenge or steal from other birds.

Double-Crested Cormorants and the Feeding Frenzy

Around 8:00, a large flock of Double-crested Cormorants flew onto the lake. They began catching fish near the dam, and I started photographing them. The cold temperature made it very difficult to operate my camera controls. This activity got the Bald Eagles to fly and perch near the dam. I counted seven at one time, but I’m sure there were more.

The cormorants’ fishing lasted a few minutes. Then they left the dam area, swam toward the center of the lake, and just floated around. The eagles flew close to where I was parked, and I got a few photos I was happy with.

Wildlife Notes

Double-crested Cormorants are expert divers. They pursue fish underwater, using their feet for propulsion and their hooked bills to grab prey. When a flock is actively fishing, it often triggers competitive behavior from other fish-eating birds. Bald Eagles frequently steal from cormorants rather than dive themselves. This behavior, known as kleptoparasitism, saves energy when conditions allow. Cornell’s All About Birds has a clear explanation of this strategy in Winged Pirates: Kleptoparasitism as a Lifestyle.

Cormorants often fish cooperatively, driving schools of fish toward shallow water or the surface where they’re easier to catch. This likely explains why they concentrated near the dam initially, then moved out when the school dispersed.

A little later, a flock of American White Pelicans landed on the lake where the cormorants were. The pelicans tucked their heads into their feathers and slept. That was cool to see.

Pelicans Join the Action

About an hour later, the Double-crested Cormorants swam back to the dam with the pelicans. The cormorants began catching fish again. The pelicans tried to steal the fish, but I didn’t see any successful thefts.

Wildlife Notes

American White Pelicans are cooperative feeders. They often swim in lines or semicircles to herd fish into shallow water where they can scoop them up with their large bills. Unlike cormorants, pelicans don’t dive. They dip their heads underwater and use their expandable throat pouches like nets. When cormorants are catching fish nearby, pelicans will attempt to steal rather than hunt. It’s less energy intensive, though not always successful.

I’ve seen pelicans successfully rob cormorants before, but it usually requires the cormorant to surface with a fish that’s too large to swallow immediately. Shad, which are common in Charleston Lake, are often small enough for cormorants to gulp down quickly, giving pelicans little time to intervene.

Photography Notes

I used my Canon EOS R5 Mark II for this session. I had my RF 200–800mm lens mounted for the morning. I shot from my truck with the lens resting on a bean bag over the open window frame. The low angle from the truck gave me good perspectives on the birds in the water.

The cold was a challenge. At 15 degrees, the camera controls were stiff, and my fingers went numb quickly. I wore insulated gloves but had to remove them frequently to adjust exposure compensation, especially when the white pelicans entered the frame. Managing exposure with dark cormorants and bright white pelicans in the same scene required constant adjustments.

The light was excellent once the sun came up. The low winter angle created warm tones on the water and good contrast on the birds’ plumage. I used fast shutter speeds (1/2000s or faster) to freeze the action, especially for the eagles in flight and the cormorants surfacing with fish. 

I got plenty of photos I was happy with, but by late morning my fingers were frozen and I was struggling with the camera controls. The birds were still active, but I decided to leave.