Middletown Man Watches Bald Eagle Swoop Down His Suburban Street

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Well, that's one way to start a Monday.

A 36-year-old Middletown man watched in amazement as a bald eagle landed on his sidewalk Monday morning to pick up a dead squirrel. Danny Neylan snapped these photos from his home on Broadmoor Drive, in Lincroft.

Neylan works in finance; he was sitting at his computer Monday morning.

"I am not a bird watcher at all; I was just sitting by my window," he told Patch. "It was about 10 a.m. and I work from home, so I just happened to look out my window for a second. I usually see hawks circling, but this time I did a double take. I was like, is that really a bald eagle?"

The bird came in to scoop up the dead animal, missed it on its first attempt, flew over a neighbor's house and then had to circle back for a second try. The bird then flew off, with the dead squirrel successfully clutched in its talons.

"The whole thing was over in about a minute. I raced to take photos, just so when I told people they wouldn't think I was lying," he said. "It was crazy. I've never seen a bald eagle before. It was bigger than I thought it would be."

There is a confirmed bald eagle nest very close by at Swimming River Reservoir, so it likely came from there, he speculated. He did not want to guess as to size or wingspan, saying he did not know enough about the species.

"I had no idea they were in Lincroft," he said. "It was pretty cool."

Bald eagles have been spotted catching fish in Keyport Harbor, nesting in a Keansburg cell tower at Natco Lake and there has been a long-established mating pair at the Manasquan Reservoir. In fact, 22 baby eagles have been born at the reservoir since 2002, according to the Monmouth County Park System. See this map of all of Monmouth County's confirmed bald eagle nests.

New Jersey's bald eagle population has been steadily increasing, with 161 pairs of bald eagles spotted in 2015 in the state, according to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. The number is probably higher in 2020. And consider there was just one single nest in New Jersey in the early 1980s.

Pet owners should be very mindful of this: In April of 2018, a veterinary office in Englishtown said they strongly suspect a dog they treated was attacked by a hawk or eagle while alone in its Aberdeen backyard. The dog was brought in with piercings and puncture wounds, which Country Animal Clinic of Englishtown said they think was caused by a hawk, bald eagle or other bird of prey.

"(He) was discovered badly injured in his own Aberdeen backyard. His injuries were consistent with the puncture wounds made by the talons and grip of a hawk," the vet's office wrote on Facebook. "After many stitches, this lucky dog was able to go home with his family and will be okay (perhaps because his heavier weight made him more difficult to be carried off.)"

A similar incident of a dog attacked in a Middletown backyard was reported that same week, according to Middletown police. Hawks, bald eagles and osprey have been known to pick up puppies, squirrels, kittens and other small animals. Farmers have long known to protect livestock, such as chickens, from bald eagles.

Even humans have been severely injured by dive-bombing birds of prey.

"I had my dog out back, she's an older English bulldog and I did bring her inside after seeing it," said Neylan.

Related: Dog Likely Attacked By Hawk In Aberdeen, Vet Says (April 2018)

Bald Eagles at Manasquan Reservoir (March 2016)

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