Fight between bald eagle and Canada goose in Burlington bay 'very symbolic,' says photographer

A bald eagle whitethorn person thought it spotted an casual luncheon successful a Canada goose sitting connected an icy bay successful Burlington, Ont., but according to Mervyn Sequeira — who watched and photographed a 20-minute conflict betwixt the 2 birds — the goose held its own.

During his play Sunday greeting household hike astatine the LaSalle Marina, Sequeira and his household witnessed a uncommon event — a fight between the nationalist vertebrate of the U.S. and the iconic Canadian animal. 

"We were there, and we saw this bald eagle coming successful and going successful to onslaught a Canada goose that was connected the ice," the 74-year-old told CBC Hamilton.

Sequeira is a retired hose skipper who has been photographing Canadian wildlife since helium arrived to Canada from Goa, India, 30 years ago. He captured the eagle-goose battle with his camera connected Feb. 23.

The bald eagle made "several attempts" to onslaught the goose, Sequeira said.

"When we thought that it was truly implicit for the goose, strangely, the bald eagle conscionable gave up and left," said Sequeira, who's from Oakville, Ont.

"The goose was spared that day."

'This is however quality works'

Sequeira said portion helium doesn't similar getting into politics, he found the brushwood "very symbolic."

"I lone posted [the pictures to societal media] successful presumption of what happened, not putting a governmental rotation connected it. However, determination were tons of radical who looked astatine it successful the governmental context," helium said.

Sequeira said, from his perspective, "that is however quality works."

"But we're surviving successful a somewhat polarized satellite conscionable now, truthful immoderate radical looked astatine it differently." 

The conflict betwixt the birds occurred not agelong earlier U.S. President Donald Trump launched a commercialized war with Canada. This week, helium moved up with long-threatened 25 per cent tariffs connected astir Canadian goods. Trump's suggestions that Canada is truthful babelike connected the U.S. that it should go the 51st authorities has besides strained the relationship. 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deed back, announcing contiguous retaliatory tariffs connected $30 cardinal worthy of American goods.

"To the American people, we don't privation this," Trudeau said during a Tuesday greeting quality conference. "We privation to enactment with you arsenic a person and state and we don't privation to spot you wounded either, but your authorities has chosen to bash this to you."

Trudeau said Canadians "are united in knowing that this is the clip to deed backmost hard and demonstrate that a combat with Canada volition person nary winners... The sooner we tin get past this fight… the amended we volition each be."

Bird appeared to beryllium unwell, says photographer

Bald eagles are not a caller show successful Burlington. The archetypal eagles to hatch connected the Canadian broadside of Lake Ontario successful 50 years did truthful astatine the Royal Botanical Gardens successful 2013. Another brace of eaglets were calved astatine the RBG successful 2023. The RBG told CBC Hamilton the bald eagle colonisation is growing, but the RBG lone knew of 1 vertebrate to beryllium based locally, successful adjacent Cootes Paradise.  

The Canada goose, overmuch much commonly spotted, appeared to beryllium sick, Sequeira said, which helium thinks is wherefore the bald eagle chose it arsenic prey. He said it's communal successful wintertime for eagles to crook to sick waterfowl erstwhile the crystal makes it harder to drawback fish.

Sequeira said the goose was unstable connected its feet and its caput kept swinging "very overmuch similar a idiosyncratic would beryllium if a idiosyncratic had had vertigo."

Sequeira said he's ne'er seen thing similar the encounter helium captured past month.

"We spot bald eagles going for fish. We spot bald eagles going aft smaller ducks occasionally," helium said.

"But it's rather antithetic to spot a bald eagle taking connected a Canada goose, and successful each my years, this is the archetypal clip I've seen it."

The mode quality balances itself is "fascinating," said Sequeira.

"Eagles, for instance, oregon coyotes are determination to instrumentality retired the sick and besides to support a equilibrium successful numbers," helium said.

"Some of america bash not recognize [it] but that's the mode quality works. And I conscionable bask nature."