While kayaking at a lake in northeast Washington state, we observed a Bald Eagle in the water along the shore, where it snatched a Coot. It flew off to a dead tree snag, where it proceeded to methodically pluck the feathers from its prey. After it was finished, it flew to the other side of the lake to feed the prepped bird to its eaglets, whose squawking was suddenly silenced with the arrival of their meal. A sobering account of the natural world.