On Friday and Saturday, a young Bald Eagle was on the ice on Lake Appert.

I wondered how old the eagle was, so I asked some sharp bird-watching friends hwo old they thought the eagle was.

Here are the answers:

"The eagle appears to be a second year bird probably going into its third year. Three-year-olds often are mistaken for Ospreys because they have a similar face pattern. Your bird hasn't quite gotten there yet"

"My guess - 1 to 1 1/2 years old. (I searched for juvenile bald eagle chart)."

"We can go for "most likely" Subadult 2 looks good for this bird ( without being able to assess wing molt).  The eye is light, prominent mask, dark upper back. Subadult 2, molted twice, hatched in 2019, molted in 2020 and 2021."

"Saw it twice yesterday late afternoon, up close with the bins, in flight as it passed by the Warden's Watch. Had lots of white on belly and undersides; some ragged trailing edges on the wings (which indicates, I think I read once, that it's in process of molting out of its very first flight feathers; and something of a white triangle on back. So I'd put it somewhere in its second year. Behavior was also sort of "juvenile" in that it made a lot of amateur half-hearted moves toward the ducks and geese sitting on the lake. None successful. More clueless than playful. Clearly in the learning mode. But I'm no expert. Cheers!"

So I'm thinking a two-year-old.

Thanks for everyone's help!