Bird Watching: Bald Eagle - Our National Symbol - Vol. #8, 1 by linthicum

linthicum wrote:
I have been photographing the Bald Eagle(s) at the Conowingo Dam each Fall, since 2007. 2011 has been my poorest year. On 3 visits I had to sit there (mostly stand) and wait for 3 ½ hours until the fog burned off. Likewise, the numbers of eagles present has decreased. Many would consider 60-70 eagles a lot but I have been spoiled. We have had heavy rains this Fall, with rising water, which made it more difficult for the eagles to find fish. So, they may have sought other places. In summary, I took a lot of photos but discarded most because the eagle or eagles were too far away for a good shot. I decided to bring back, or continue, the “Bald Eagle, Our National Symbol” thread. The following link will take you back to the previous “Volume #7”, if interested in looking at some of the previous years.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1143186/

This first photo was one of my favorites this season. Good shots don't come easy. When the Bald Eagle decides to hit the water he moves swiftly and is often easily lost in the viewfinder. He was relatively close which makes it even more difficult with a 500mm lens. In a series of six rapid shots this was the only one that had the entire eagle.