bald eagle and babies!!! (finally)

[DoctorIt]

some of you may recall that I've encountered this bird before. It lives right down the road from MrsIt's parents on the Connecticut River. I finally got out on her uncle's boat this weekend and scored these:

http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/22734988-M.jpg

http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/22736543-M.jpg

http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/22736946-M.jpg

the best one (I think):
http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/22737413-M.jpg

and the little ones (very noisy, major cropping)
http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/22733943-M.jpg

and this one to give you a scale of how big she is (thats a BIG tree):
http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/22738182-M.jpg

All shot with my Sigma 100-300mm f/4 + 1.4xTC. So I Av'd at wide open (f/5.6) and to get shutter speeds in the 1000 range, I had to push it to ISO 200 because of the shadows she was in. Not ideal on the 10D and a rocking boat, but nonetheless, some decent results. Bigger boat or bigger lens - since they'll be about the same price, I'm thinking that the bigger boat is a better investment... :lol3

[Harryb]

Hey Erik,

:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

Congrats on those captures. Marvelous details on those shots.

They are also a good argument for longer lenses. I have an active eagle's nest behind our local firehouse about a 5 minute drive from me. Since their is a regulation prohibiting a person from getting within 200 yards of an active eagle's nest I can't get close enough to get a shot and it's just killing me because they have 2 eglets in the nest.

Its a thrill to see these guys in the wild isn't it?

[4labs]

Congrats, must feel great after all this time....Thnxs for sharing..

[MuskyDude]

It's one thing to actually just see a bald eagle in the wild, another to take really good shots, but their nest and chicks too? Wow. :clap Thanks for sharing these! :super

AJ

[Steve Cavigliano]

Hey, if the eagle won't come to the Doctor, the Doctor will have to go to the eagle :D

Man, nailing these must have made you proud :thumb :thumb You also picked the right time to go visit. What, with eaglets in the nest and all :clap :clap


Nice work and worth all the trouble too.


Steve

[jwear]

I remember the first shots -- very good second visit :thumb how do you hold the camera so still with only one hand :dunno :D in aug. I am going eagle hunting -if i get close to these i will be happy :clap

[ginger_55]

I looked, forgot to post. Great shots, Doc It!

and babies, too.

g:clap

[Ric Grupe]

...worth making, Doc!:thumb :thumb :thumb

[gus]

Beautiful work Doc...lovely shots.

[bfjr]

Good catch worth whatever the effort :thumb

[DoctorIt]

Its a thrill to see these guys in the wild isn't it?:nod

The whole side of the river they live on is protected land, no one can even set foot on it, so it is tough indeed - but well warranted, these amazing birds deserve all the help they can get.

The water is a different story. They'd have to arrest hundreds of people each weekend - this is a pretty heavily trafficked portion, a boat landing is just a half mile down (on the opposite bank of course). So this family of eagles is pretty tolerant. Fisherman, water skiiers, maybe good entertainment while one is watching the kids and waiting for the other to hunt??? :D

Also, their original nest was about 500 yds downstream in another tree. 2 years ago it was knocked out in a snowstorm. Everyone was really afraid that they would leave, as many eagles do if they lose a nest. Nope, thye like it there, rebuilt bigger and better.

Did you all notice the band on her ankle? Apparently they sent a specialist up to the nest last week to check on the babies. Newspaper reported 3 of them. I only saw two over the course of an hour... hoping the third was just napping the whole time.

Thanks everyone - it's a pleasure to share a great capture like this. I'll hopefully keep 'em coming over the summer as the young ones come out of the nest.

[Andy]

....because they have 2 eglets in the nest.



are they afraid you'll eat them? :lol3

eric, great stuff! :thumb

[tmlphoto]

Great capture Erik. I'm still waiting for my first Eagle.