Powered by air currents created by the union of mountains and lakes, eagles silently soar through the sky on a dedicated quest for prey.

With eyes so sharp they can spot fish under water from hundreds of feet high, they fall in a fast dive, pin their catch with sharp talons, then fly away home.

Home is a large nest of sticks atop tall trees within easy flight of lakes and streams.

Sadly, the very source sustaining bald eagles, water, can be their enemy. Rivers and lakes are tainted by chemicals and waste from industry and cities. The pollution poisons the food eagles depend on.

There was a time when DDT practically wiped out every eagle on the east coast, but recent efforts to clean up our mess has improved the quality of water.

"Around here, they're making a nice comeback," Jim White said of the bald eagles who nest in North Alabama.

White is president of the Tennessee Valley Audubon Society, one of several organizations interested in the welfare of all birds, not just those on the endangered list.

A former Navy jet pilot, White especially admires bald eagles "for their skills at flying."

The bird's magnificent majesty in flight, an almost effortless mastery of the sky, is one reason it was adopted as the emblem of the United States.

For the record, it's not really bald - the name comes from the appearance of its white-feathered head. Bald eagles are the only members of the species confined to North America.

Depending on weather patterns in their native habitats up north, eagles show up in the Tennessee Valley around November and leave in February. While an average count is 100, White said his group has only seen about 40 or 50 of them this year because of the weather.

Seeing one is something to remember. "They're just magnificent animals," White declared "Especially when they're flying."

Audubon members (and other birders) try to involve children in their monthly birding trips so younger generations will have an appreciation of nature and for conservation.

A recent eagle watch White led to Lake Guntersville included about half dozen children ages 10 to 12. Not only did the children see full-grown eagles in flight, they saw nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers and ducks. White said youngsters always enjoy seeing ducks.

"Lake Guntersvflle is good for diving ducks," he said. "Some of them can go as deep at 300 feet." Most Audubon outings include a stop at the city park along Lake Guntersville so children can see plenty of ducks.

But the stars of the show are the exalted eagles, whose soaring flights and breathtaking dives command the most attention.

Die-hards gather at sundown to watch the eagles roost.