"Put your right foot in .. .. ..."

Back at Long Beach, WA. Canon 7D; ISO 800; 6.7; Manual; spot; cloudy; 100/400 @ 400; handheld.

Some sharpening; cropped about 15%.

Oooo! Those talons! Nice shot, Jim. Any chance you could give this raptor a little more room to walk into on the left? Otherwise, I'd consider cropping to square. Long Beach has been pretty productive with photo ops for you. Just curious-- do you go up around Ledbetter State Park? Mouth of Columbia River? Where's been good?

I love the eyes on these birds! Very cool find! I agree with Catherine about room on the left for him to walk into. Very nice shot!

Catherine, I really do not go to just one location unless I have been to a certain place and note some good subject matter. For instance: The shore birds are now here on their stopover headed north. As you know beach driving is Ok. I may drive the length of the beach looking for something. If I find it (eagles, shorebirds, dead whale etc) I stop and walk until I get to a good vantage point. Even though there has been some wind and a lot of rain this week, there have been some very good opportunities. I like to go the the Chinook and Ilwaco boat basins-always something there. The north jetty is another good place. Lots of birds fly over it; land on the beach (Benson beach)-yesterday terns, surf scooters, cormorants; gulls and others.; and depending on wave conditions, you can get some good shots of various birds. The mouth of the Chinook River is another good place from time-to-time. Black Lake between Seaview and Ilwaco can be very good especially in the AM. I guess I just go wherever the spirits move me.

Very nice image Jim. I really like those razor sharp talons and the eye contact. I agree with Steve and Catherine about adding a bit more space on the left if possible.