July 4th, 2009 Portrait of the Eagle father ![]()
Mother watching over the nest
About to learn how to fly!
C'mon son... you can FLY!
Uh oh... here comes the kid!
Daddy, daddy, look at me flying! (notice Dad trying to avoid the collision!)
"Dang kid, there's a whole tree here and you got to push me off."
Look at me, look at me! I can fly!
Second Eaglet leaves the nest on first flight!
Now what???
Flew to the next tree to look around.
Flying to join her brother and parents in the forest.
Next year I will follow the hatching to first flight!
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Nesting Bald Eagles Part II ![]()
The male had just got done running off last years "Junior" as he isn't welcome in the area anymore.
Coming in to join the female.
They are screaming at the Herons who are nesting themselves about 500 yards away. None of the Herons dare to come within 500 yards of the nest.
They fly out the back and to the side of their area.
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The morning mist was lifting. If you look real close, you will see the white head of the female in nest. (right/upper corner). You will also see some
Mallard Ducks in the field too.
The mist made it hard to see the Eagles nest.
Mallard Duck taking off as I start to walk out.
I found the spot I need to get the proper eagle pictures, by trial and error... had I been there earlier, I would have gotten fantastic pictures
Of the male eagle flying past me with PERFECT lighting. Lesson learned.
When I got there, there was mist lifting and the female was in the nest, so (stupid of me) I figured nothing would happen like the other morning
so I went over to the fence by the Herons to get some pics. Got some good ones, but as I was shooting one, the male flew by behind me so low I couldn't
find him with the 500mm... zoomed out quickly and there he was. Problem was, the sun was on the wrong side and he was already past me.
This is where I should have been (about 50 yards East by the creek) and I would have gotten some killer dawn lighted shots like I got with the herons.
You will see the road where I shoot the afternoon shots from in dead center of picture behind uprooted stump.You will also see the nest to the left and
the dead tree I got the close up with the Eagles the other day on the right. I'm now on the other side.
I would have loved to been on the other side, (about 50 yards East by the creek) & I would have gotten some great dawn-lighted shots like these
two of the Heron in flight.
After the male flew by me, they both flew out of the nest and way up to these trees about 300 yards away overlooking the nest.
I had to zoom at 500mm & crop 75% to get these next two shots. I don't know if she has laid eggs yet or just working on the nest. She is spending a lot of time in the nest.
After about 10 minutes She flew back to the nest and the male flew off East probably looking for food.
I decided to call it a day and go back to the car.
For the time being, next time, I'll just go to the creek where it is a better shot of the eagles. I'll forget the Herons for awhile.
Neat old boat on property
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