Our Favorite Ralph & Alice Photos

Posted on Jan 30

Ralph & Alice are the Bald Eagle couple that has stolen the hearts of people from all over. The couple has been nesting in Hamilton for 10+ years.

The two magnificent birds can be seen flying all around Butler County, but they're not always easy to find. If you are lucky enough to sight one, it's possible that it will only be for a moment. However, because Ralph and Alice have built such a large fan base, there are numerous birdwatchers and photographers alike who have captured them in all their glory. I wanted to share 15 of the most stunning, breathtaking and just beautiful photos that I have seen capturing Butler County's favorite couple.

Ralph & Alice Around Butler County

Captured By Stephen Flynn

Captured By Mark Ray

Fun Fact — Bald Eagles are pretty romantic birds, they mate for life and share their parenting duties. Both the male and female take turns incubating their eggs and feeding their young eaglets.

Captured By David Downie

Captured By Carole Felde

Fun Fact — Female Bald Eagles are larger than Males. Male bald eagles actually weigh about 25 percent less than females. If you're trying to tell male and female eagles apart, this size difference may help you.

Captured By Kathy Davin

Captured By Russ Ebbing

Fun Fact — On average, bald eagle nests are 2-4 feet deep and 4-5 feet wide. But one pair of eagles near St. Petersburg, Florida, earned the Guinness World Record for largest bird’s nest: 20 feet deep and 9.5 feet wide. The nest weighed over two tons.

Captured By Stephen Flynn

Captured By David Downie

Captured By Russ Ebbing

Fun Fact — Eagles have strong nest site fidelity, meaning they return to the same nest and nesting territory each year. If they successfully produce young at a nest, they are likely to return to that nest year after year.

Captured By David Downie

Captured By Carole Felde

Fun Fact — Eaglets are generally ready to fledge, or take their first flight, by 10-12 weeks of age. Fledgling eaglets practice flying in a process called branching. First flights are generally downward glides from the nest to a lower branch or the ground.

Captured By David Downie

Captured By Suzanne York

Captured By David Downie

Fun Fact — They have incredible "Eagle Eye" vision... seriously. Besides the usual pair of eyelids, bald eagles have a see-through eyelid called a nictitating membrane. They can close this membrane to protect their eyes while their main eyelids remain open. The membrane also helps moisten and clean their eyes.