The bald eagle is somewhat of a local myth in Estes Park, Colo. Everyone in town knows it’s out there, but not many have seen it. So it was a surprise and pleasure to see our national bird perched above Lake Estes near the power plant when I joined Gary Matthews for the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. The event takes inventory of our feathered friends each year, but only the birds seen during a 24-hour period, which made the inclusion of this solitary and elusive figure even more special. —Kevin Beaty