Heading from/to depot work or testing at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio or Patuxent River NAS in Maryland?
Yes- it’s on one of many flight vectors from Patuxent, and from Quantico USMC. Refuel stop or maybe emergent mechanical.
Now if you see 12 of them with offloads of Marine squads-— may be an op.
As for the birds— they are raptors and range far and wide in search of fish. Have seen bald eagles attack ospreys and steal their just caught fish catch. They... compete in the same niche.