Bald Eagle - Our National Symbol - Vol. #4

Same juvenile .......

After the catch, the activity often picks up as they would rather steal a fish than fish for themselves ......

Another not so good photo from over 800 feet ......

Last one for now .........

(THUNK) That was my jaw dropping to the top of my desk at each of those photos. What incredible action you caught!

Just curious... do you ever video them? I'd love to see this in "real time"!

Janet

Linth, they are absolutely spectacular shots. Please keep them coming. I would never tire of looking at these magnificent birds.

Janet, I've thought about video but have never done it. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing anyone with a video camera. Nonetheless, a person would get some nice footage.

Thanks, Margaret ....... but you don't know how many photos I have !

This Bald Eagle is saying, "come a little closer" .........

Really nice action shots Linth! Like your close-up, definitely looks ready to take you on, the fish must be pretty darn good.lol

Wowee, linth. That's gobsmacking!

Oh WOW! Linth, that last photo is awesome. May I borrow it? I want to post it next to my sign in the window that says "Armed American Citizens"!

Linth, does your camera that you use "do" video? I know that is a whole 'nother ballgame. It's hard to keep the action focused on my camera when I try to do it. You're just so good at the picture taking, that I thought it might be neat to see it "live". :-)

Your images would make a lovely screen saver, set to patriotic music. I can just imagine Ray Charles singing "America", as I watch those gorgeous birds.

Linth, I can't think of any words that I haven't already used! They're all just spectacular.

I liked the one with the Cormorant-have you ever seen them pick one up out of the water? I've seen mine going for the smaller grebes, but the ducks have been successful diving to safety. I'm sure the eagles have been successful at other times, but luckily I haven't seen them.

"After the catch" is just incredible, spectacular, awesome and more.... I've only got the before and after shots like this, but the first time I watched one eagle fly upside down, I'm sure the people all around the lake heard me scream my joy.

All your photos are wonderful, especially the last closeup-clear, crisp, precise, perfect!!

OH MY GOD!!

what a Shot Linth.

LOL, that is what I said on the Eagles face...LOL actually I find myself saying that alot.

I am so glad you started the Thread again...
OH My gosh, i sure hope you enter that one in next years Calander contest!!
Absolutley Beautiful, I am in awe.

Ditto to all of the above. Awesome...

Burd, the fish was good. 200 photos later, he ate the whole thing.

Janet, you can use the photo, if you wish. And, yes, the Nikon D300 does have a Live View Mode but I have never tried it. I would assume the results would be mediocre in comparison to the still image.

duc, I have seen them "harass" Great Blue Herons and Sea Gulls, but no Cormorants. Of course, I have seen them feasting on a Tundra Swan and Canada Goose. I'm sure other smaller waterfowl have met their demise from the Bald Eagle.

Thanks, everyone, for your participation and comments.

Here's another photo of the Eagle shown in the close-up.

Here he is enjoying his catch. Another Bald Eagle flew right over him while he was eating but never tried to "share" in the catch.

An adult Bald Eagle with another nice catch .....

An instant before the catch. If you look real close, you can see the fish right below his talons.

And, a second after the catch ........

Two seconds later .......

Needing to gain some altitude ........

Up. up and away ......

Getting a little farther away ......

A fly-by adult with one sitting in the background ...............

Another fly-by adult with a fish attached to his talons .......

Last one for tonight.

Beautiful shots Linth!

WOWSER They just keep getting better and better! Thanks linth. Please keep them coming.

I second that "WOWSER", the photos do keep getting better and better Linth. Are you using several zoom lenses or do you have one particular favorite?

Thanks, all.

duc, except for some of the occasional photos of an eagle in a tree, all of the photos were taken from the same spot with a 500mm lens, on a tripod. A few earlier photos on the previous thread were taken at 700mm with a 1.4x teleconverter added. However, I took it off because I was missing too many flight shots, being unable to find them in the viewfinder and keep on focus throughout their flight. When not busy, I practice on sea gulls.

Individuals that handhold their 300mm to 400mm lens do quite well. Some add a teleconverter.
When an eagle is coming toward me and going over my head, I eventually have to give up on it but they can continue to shoot away. But getting a photo of their underside isn't all that attractive, at least to me.

They just built a nice pavilion for photographers and fisherman, close to the water. I haven't used it yet but getting down near water level would give a different perspective of a fishing eagle coming toward you.

More to come. I'm away from my photos right now. Plus, I have about 700 images taken last Friday that I haven't even looked at.

One of the extra joys of photographing birds is when you are able to capture a tagged bird. This year, I have photographed 6 Snow Geese and able to obtain background information on all 6. On Friday, I photographed my first tagged (readable) Bald Eagle with a blue tag S-47. He also has a transmitter on him. His name is 'Hudson'.

This bald eagle is a winter visitor to the Chesapeake Bay. He was banded as a nestling by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation in 2007. So, he is about 2 1/2 years old. In November, this eagle flies to the Bay to hunt wintering waterfowl along the many tributaries of the Bay. Hudson was captured on 1/26/08 in Maryland using a rocket net baited with a road killed deer. After fitting him with a solar powered GPS transmitter, he was released on the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay.

He is part of a project of the Center for Conservation Biology out of the College of William & Mary, in Virginia. I just received this information via e-mail after reporting the tag to the Center.

Beautiful shots....I was wondering if young birds such as Cormorants are in any danger from the Eagles, or are they safe because of the supply of fish available?

That is so cool being able to track him. I knew they banded some birds to check on migration patterns, but had no idea they put GPS on them. Talk about 21st Century High Tech! :-)

That's just too cool to get that tagged eagle Linth! Congratulations. I was a volunteer hummingbird bander this past year and am still waiting to photograph my first banded bird. I'm 23 miles away from the banding site so the chances are slim, but there's always hope. Sure wish we could have used those GPS chips too.

Thanks for the info on the lens. I'm keeping my 1.4 tc on my camera, but yesterday the eagles were flying by and not circling as they usually do. Maybe today....

You have to be lucky to get the tag in the right position in order to read it. During the course of the day, I took a lot of photos of him flying around and sitting. You can see the antenna in most and the tag in quite a few but only one shot showed a 'legible' tag.

Here a collage comprised of ten photos taken within a short period of time last Friday.

Great collage!! It's such a shame that photos taken in the sky just don't show the large wingspans of these great raptors.

Breathtaking collage of the majestic Eagles.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving Linth and all.

Thank you Linth for sharing your incredible photos.

Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends.

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone !!!!

Every Thanksgiving I remember that if Benjamin Franklin had had his way, we probably wouldn't be eating turkey on Thanksgiving Day since he wanted the turkey to be the nation's symbol, rather than the Bald Eagle. Here is an excerpt of one of Franklin's letters.

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country . . .

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

And, that's the way it was ..... on January 26, 1784 .................

Old Ben should of put the time in like you Linth, lol I,m sure he would've changed his thinking after a while.

Besides the Turkey taste tooooo good. Happy Thanksgiving.

That was very interesting. Thanks for sharing Linth. Always enjoy your photos. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Janet

Yes, I agree, that was interesting and so true.