Bald eagle chases duck

Washington Avenue in Hutchinson was the sight this week of a life and death fight.

A mature bald eagle with a perfect white head and large wingspan flew west to east chasing a female mallard duck. The duck with its small wings was flapping at top speed.

The whole event took place in downtown Hutchinson about five feet above the rooftops.

I was on the phone with someone from Florida when it happened. I stopped talking to the person and just said, "wow."

As the birds flew out of my sight and towards Library Square, the eagle was catching up. The duck had about six feet of buffer space as I lost sight.

I shared this story last night with another person at the Gopher Campfire banquet. He told me eagles are seen regularly along the open water of the river near the Second Avenue bridge.

Did the duck make it? It didn't look good, but who knows. Have any readers seen such an event? It seems like more eagles come to town during the winter. Perhaps that is because of the open water at the Sanctuary and river.