This is the dramatic moment an eagle swooped down and caught a startled duckling for dinner - before bending over to look its poor prey right in the eye . The bald eagle plucked the ruddy duck from the water and was carrying the bird back to a nest with its feet when it turned to take a look . The extraordinary moment was caught on camera by Phil Lanoue , who lives near Murrells Inlet in Huntington Beach State Park , South Carolina . This is the dramatic moment an eagle swooped down and caught a startled duckling for dinner - before bending over to look its poor prey right in the eye . The 60-year-old said : ' I saw the eagle swoop down and hit the water . 'It sat there for a few seconds and I knew it was trying to get something secured in its talons . 'Suddenly the eagle burst up out of the water with a freshly caught duckling . I think the unfortunate victim was a ruddy duck . 'The eagle flew off towards the nest with an evening meal for its babies . The eagle suddenly swoops down and hits the calm water after spotting its prey from the air . After sitting for a few seconds the eagle emerges with a tiny duckling grasped precariously in its talons . Photographer Phil Lanoue said : 'Suddenly the eagle burst up out of the water with a freshly caught duckling . I think the unfortunate victim was a ruddy duck ' ' I just could n't believe it when the eagle looked right back at the duck and stared into its eyes as the poor little guy was being carried away . ' The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America . They generally eat dead or drying fish , mice , snakes , rabbits and frogs . The huge bird of prey hurries toward a nest , where the little duck will be used to feed hungry chicks . Mr Lanoue said : ' I just could n't believe it when the eagle looked right back at the duck and stared into its eyes as the poor little guy was being carried away '
Photographs taken at Huntington Beach South Carolina 's State Park . Ruddy duck carried to nest by bald eagle to feed hungry chicks .