I continue to be amazed with the feeding of eagles, an event which occurs somewhere between approximately 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., daily, on Roche Harbor Road, at Westcott Bay Road.

Haven’t we all been taught not to feed wild critters? Doesn’t this interfere with their ecological sense of foraging for themselves and not becoming dependent on human handouts?

I have two major concerns with the first concern, being that of safety for people. This event causes a traffic jam with cars parked on both sides of Roche Harbor Rd., as well as parked on Westcott Bay Rd.

Yesterday, a woman ran out from between two parked cars, right in front of our car; she never looked. All she could think about was getting a picture of an eagle.

She was lucky. We missed her. But how many others like her, as well as children, will continue running out onto Roche Harbor Road without looking?

My second concern is for the eagles. This island is adamant about protecting the eagles, their nests, their habitat. Where are these “save the eagle people”—the same people who say we can’t build within “X” feet of an eagle’s nest or endanger them in any way. Why do they turn their back on this daily event?

Once the eagles gorge themselves with food, they have difficulty getting lift. I personally have come close to hitting several eagles as they fly low across the road after eating before reaching the capability to lift for flight. I would hate to take one to the windshield!

This might be an interesting tourist attraction, but at what cost? It is just a matter of time.

Carolyn Bowen/San Juan Island