Returning Eagle

Gallery: AvianPosted April 6, 2014218 views5 comments

Hi, it's been quite a LONG time since posting a new photo here on NPN, in Avian in particular.

This is an eagle I'm quite familiar with (leg banding). As I got out of my vehicle near a favorite small pond in my area, one I hadn't been to in over a year, the bald eagle was perched in an old tree. Below it were Hooded Mergansers, a Ring-Necked duck (my first time seeing one)... and a GBH in flight. It was a nice "welcome back". The BE got off its perch and flew right toward me as if to say hello again. Enough of the sentiments--D90, ISO-500, 1/1000th, f-8.0 at 500mm. The wing got clipped a bit as I was out of practice and couldn't back off the Sigma fast enough!

All C&C is welcomed. Thanks for looking.

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 6, 2014 at 7:08 PM

A nice welcome back, Bill. The eagle is a bit soft-looks like you'd better get out to the pond more often.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Maile on April 7, 2014 at 10:39 AM

I wish I could Dennis. Thank you for the feedback.

Registered on March 2, 2009, 984 Posts, 2518 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on April 8, 2014 at 7:42 AM

Except for the sharpness its a very good flight shot of an BE. I thought the tree in the BG might be a distraction, but on the large image I can see it is OOF and not a problem. For an out of practice photo it is quite good. Nice pose. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on April 8, 2014 at 9:54 AM

Welcome back Bill. Not easy to capture a fast flying bird coming right at you, you did well under such circumstances. Nice wing position and exposure, appropriate and interesting photo with some extra meaning thrown in.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Maile on April 8, 2014 at 11:45 AM

Thank you John, yes, I realized it wasn't as sharp as I had hoped for--holding that big Sigma with the eagle bearing down (or up?) on me, was a challenge not having done it in awhile--I'm sure it was part hand shake.

And Gary Gulash, a big thank you! You obviously "got it". I received a letter and nice patch from the PA Game Commission in 2011 for tracking this eagle and its partner in building, and eventually, in making home the first-ever productive Bald Eagle nest in Susquehanna County history. In 2012 they produced one eaglet, and last year there were three. So seeing this guy, and the scene below, was very special to me my first time back out. In 1983, there were only three known nest sites in all of Pennsylvania! The patch commemorated the 200th since repopulating efforts began.

I didn't visit the nest site, but I am sure they are back there again. There is a much longer part to this story, about how my photos of them carrying nesting material led to intervention by the National Wildlife Federation's PA legal arm (PennFuture) because of a huge Tennessee Gas pipeline being put in about 100 yards away from where they were building the nest at the time. It eventually went all the way to FERC and state regulatory agencies. Thankfully, the nest was protected, the gas pipeline was put in, and everyone came out happy. After I caught a bunch of crap. ;) So very special meaning when I see these birds.

Registered on March 2, 2009, 984 Posts, 2518 Comments