I was driving with my family on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to go on a hike. The road is windy and goes through a ravine with a river winding slightly more than the road. As we were passing through the greener parts of our trip (one hour drive), we came across a part of the road where we were curving in toward the right, into the mountainside's embrace, so to speak, facing an oncoming curve heading left. There were trees on the very steep right side of the road and trees on the left side that wasn't as sloped. While coming around the bend, my wife and I noticed what at first I thought were turkeys tumbling down the very steep hillside.
https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-brown-and-black-bird-2904176/
(This is not the picture I took because I didn't take a picture. I was too stunned to take a picture and so was everyone else in the truck.)
As I approached the mountainside where the commotion was taking place, I slowed down. Quickly I saw that the two birds were attached and it was not a couple of turkeys after all. It was two very large brown-feathered birds. In the moment that they were tumbling, their wings were flapping and I believe they were mating, though my 8 year old son would tell you they were fighting...lol
https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photograph-of-a-golden-eagle-9240459/
(Again, not my picture...I was in awe).
When the birds hit the ground by the road where the mountainside/hillside ended abruptly, the two separated. One flew up the mountainside again while the other stood, seemingly very calmly, right in front of my truck. Fortunately, by this point, I had stopped completely. The golden eagle had its head up sitting contently on the street. The oncoming traffic also stopped and the bird looked back and forth between them and me. We locked eyes a few times. It was a most impressive bird! I didn't dare honk. I was enjoying the view! Really? How many times in life do you get to see a bird so magnificent and not only one, but two!
When he spread his wings to take off, the wingspan was spectacular! All of us were freaking out in the car, "OH MY GOSH!!!" everyone was crying out. It flew right by my side of the truck and I got to pause and enjoy it's full beauty for just another few seconds as its body defied gravity per its usual. It is so majestic to see a bird of that size lift off. The power of its wings' thrust is so incredible to witness.
The hike was amazing, too...but the talk of the day and the enjoyment of my clan was all about the once-in-a-lifetime spectacular.
While I didn't take the pictures, the story is absolutely true. Feel free to share it with anyone who loves nature!