Juneau's Eagles

We're now in Juneau where we will spend the last few days of our Alaskan adventure. Juneau is the capital of Alaska and the only way to get here is by boat or plane.  You can't actually drive to get here as there are mountains on one side and water on the other.  I think that's one of the reasons it's popular with cruise ships.  It's been the capital since before Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, but I wonder why that's so since it is remote and not centrally located.  We met several Alaskans in Anchorage who have never been to Juneau, in part I think because you can't drive here.  That, and it's really not much bigger than a small town.  The population is only about 33,000 making it one of the smallest capital cities.

We're staying in an Airbnb that overlooks the Gastineau Channel.  We're actually on Douglas Island which is across the channel from downtown Juneau, the airport, and Mendenhall Glacier.  It's still a part of Juneau but not in the center of the the city.  The Gastineau Channel is impacted by the tide cycle and can vary as much as 20 feet between low and high tides.  When it's low tide, a lot of marshy land and even grassy areas are exposed that you don't even realize are there during high tide.  It is a hotspot for birds, including both golden and bald eagles.

The birds are out in force during low tide hunting and competing with each other for food.  We've had bald eagles not even 20 feet from our balcony as they swoop down for fish and other things while hunting for their next meal.  It's been awesome to watch and has given me the chance to take some incredible photos. 

It's only day one here, so we may become avid birders before the end of the week.