What colour was its underside? It could be an Osprey, or it could indeed be a Golden eagle although this would be rarer.

varied dark brown and less than dark brown with a little light brown. I didn't think osprey, I thought they wouldn't be here yet, but they do mate here.... It looked lighter than a T-Buzzard....

From your initial post (no white that you could see) it's not an Osprey. If your size comparisons are good, it could be a Golden Eagle (uncommon to rare in the east but they do occur in TN). Great Blue Heron has a 72" wingspan (per Ntl Geo guide), Golden Eagle 80-88".

-O-

Thanks, Orrin. Here is what was decided when I discussed it with three local experts that I saw this morning watching the peregrines.
1. The closest Golden Eagle was spotted weeks ago and 20+ miles up river.
2. Golden Eagles and Turkey Vultures can look a lot alike soaring.
3. There is a HUGE red tail that lives in the area (I have photographed this bird)
4. Red tails are known to **steal** heron nests.
5. Turkey vultures and Eagles both leave herons alone, unless they're dead.

conclusion
I've lost my mind. It was that red tail.
[shrug]
thanks for all the comments..

Judging bird size can be a b*tch, eh? Our nervous systems can be so subjective with processing data (especially in an excited state, like when a birder sees a big raptor). I tried to turn a Turkey Vulture into a Zone-tailed Hawk yesterday; I knew I wasn't seeing the tail bands and it's probably time for the vultures to be back, but it was flappier than usual for a vulture and I really just wanted it to be a Zone-tailed. But even with all my amazing mental powers, I couldn't turn it into one. Shrug for me too.

-O-

Eagles will go into heron nests to get an easy meal. And juvenile Bald eagles have a great deal of white on them.

Orrin, you're funny. A few years ago I was called to a house to get a "huge" owl out of a wood-burning stove. When I asked the woman exactly how big the bird was (so I could put on the appropriately sized gloves), her eyes widened and she held her hands 18 inches apart. I figured it was a Barn owl.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the oven door to see a little 6 inch Eastern screech owl huddled miserably in the corner of the stove.

Hi all,

I read all the posts. If that bird was really large, I think there are only two possibilities to consider.

Immature Bald Eagle or adult Golden Eagle.

I guess immature Bald Eagle because a Golden Eagle should have left by making circles to get higher in the sky.

Luc

Ohhh nooooooo not that...... someone thinking I saw a Golden...... Its been three days, Ive slept. I spotted a bald today, so not having a Golden on my list (I am so new my year and life lists are the same) look at my recent page.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos from the Edge, of Tennessee

You stated in your original post that the bird had no white, which would rule out red-tail, unless it was a dark morph bird - also pretty rare in Eastern TN, I think.

I find trying to identify a bird based on a description next to impossible, unless some definitive field mark is described. In this situation, a large brown raptor could be any one of several species. A definite ID may not be possible, nor even close to 100% accuracy.
Nathan

first note, the sun was almost directly overhead and I was looking up at the bird (sun was behind me at a few degrees off top and the bird was at about 70 degrees which means he would be somewhat shadowed.
I really tried to ID the bird. I looked closely at its head, flight feathers, tail, It looked like a Turkey Vulture except I didn't see any white and it looked like it had a head about the same color as the body...
At the Chattanooga nature center, they have two red tails that are not releaseable and in a cage (way too small if you ask me) The biggest one is only a bit smaller than the Eagle in the next cage (much bigger cage) and it (red tail) had no white that I could see. it is an old bird and it has light feathers but no white. After seeing that captive red tail, I tend to agree that the big bird I saw was a red tail.
one thing for sure, if its a red tail, its not going too far away and I should get the chance to see it again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos from the edge, of Tennessee

btw, so i can be a know-it-all: significant diff between immature bald eagle and golden is that the be does not have the feathers all the way down the legs as the golden does. now, to just get that close! or good binoculars!

no no, that is a minor difference in defferentiating these birds. A major difference used at long distances would be that the golden eagle has much thicker, and more defined black and white tail bands than the bald. Also the juvenile goldens often possess white patches above and below on the wings. The juvenile bald eagles have a much "sloppier" pattern with a mixture of white and brown in an undefined pattern. The nape of the golden eagle is almost always golden regardless of age. But definately look for that bright white tail band on the golden.
Nathan

Bob: No raptor with the wingspan of a Great Blue Heron. Had to be a Teradactyl.

Golden and Bald Eagles have wingspans considerably larger than GBH mary.
Nathan