Images from the Id – Timing or In Search of the Eagle Part 2

Now for the truth and the frustration.

Lesson – Bald Eagles are iconic. People have this preconceived idea as how they look. The Eagle does not reach its full “baldness” until its 4th year. This means a lot of eagles don’t look like what people thing they should look like. I wish someone would buy a picture of an immature baldy.

Lesson – Eagles mate for life and in many places don’t tend to nest where they winter, my lake =-(  They usually use the same nest each year and just re-build or add on to it. Photos of nesting eagles are near the top of the list for photos. Study the locals. Get on the “Birders” email list.

Lesson – Birders have different goals than photographers. Don’t be disappointed if you chase one of their leads and the bird is a small dot at 200 yards and sure it’s an eagle but… Last week, I spotted a Peregrine Falcon attacking a flock of crows way up there in the sky. I got a photo but just enough to identify it accurately. Someday…

Lesson – Feeding shots are the best, yellow talons outreaching out with the great fierce look, wings back and no nictitating membrane over the eye.

Lesson – Bald Eagles are equal opportunity feeder. They prefer fish but will eat some small mammals or even dead animals (Was Ben Franklin right in preferring the Turkey for our symbol?) Give the lambs and little children to the Golden Eagle not the Bald Eagle. Like many animals it is very important to expend the least amount of energy for a given amount of prey. It’s not laziness it’s just whether the energy used is less than energy eaten. Because of this they eat carrion, or more spectacularly, steal fish.

Lesson – Learn about your “prey” try to anticipate what it is going to do. Don’t waste your energy.

The Case Story – I and picked up one of my 80mm-400mm lens from the repair shop and they said there was nothing wrong with it, so I went to the lake to “test” it. Arriving I immediately went to the trees where the big guys usually hangout in. Nobody home. Went down to the dam tower, usually a good second choice. Nobody home. So it was down to the lake shore. There it was, soaring high above the lake, a beautiful mature Bald Eagle. I am 3 minutes from the parking lot. While driving and looking, not too hard in this park – no other cars that day, the Eagle starts showing some definite interest in the surface of the water, At 2 minutes from parking, it was obvious it was happening. Tuning the corner in to the boat launch/parking area, the Eagle begins its attack, 10 seconds. My brain is yelling, “Miss, miss, miss” Hoping it would re-attack; small chance of that. Then, ten feet from shore and where I would be in five seconds, I see a large carp get plucked by yellow talons and carried away to the distant trees. I don’t believe in luck but it’s hard to keep saying that I just need to get their more often. Another bird, another day.

This week’s Photo

“Mature Bald Eagle” Viera Wetlands Florida. Again as last week 9 am early, low light,  ISO 800; 1/6000 shutter speed; f 6.7; 0 EV; 400/600 mm, Aperture priority; spot metered. Cropped for composition; processed and sharpened in Lightroom 5.3. The only time I have been eye level with the eagle. Right time in right place? Well, almost. Right after my camera’s buffer filled, the eagle shot straight up in to the air attacking an Osprey carrying a fish. Very spectacular no body got the fish and this time I was 10 seconds early 😉