Gale vs. the Eagle

[Harryb]

Hi Y'all,

Yesterday I witnessed an epic confrontation, my good friend, Gale vs the Eagle. Gale has been trying to get another eagleshot for a good while but has had to deal with a bunch of eagles who ducked her challenge.

The location, the Viera Wetlands, in the early AM.
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/107213158-O.jpg

The champion
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/107213162-O.jpg

the challenger
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/107213175-O.jpg

the arena
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/107213154-O.jpg

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/107213171-O.jpg

Gale goes to work
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/107213166-O.jpg


and the winner is http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=46288 :D

[Osprey Whisperer]

Cool series Harry. Why do you guys need such large lenses ? Mannnnn that's huge. I'd just walk up to the eagle and tell him to come down so I could take his picture.....and hand him his fish afterwards. :D

[Brooks P]

Where is the photo of the Porter or Gun Bearer . . . ah . . . Lens Bearer? Come on Harry, for crying out loud, that lens is almost as big as Gale is, surely there was a Porter to carry that monster.

I notice a certain family resemblance between your Champion and Gale's Eagle. But there is a difference in the color (WB?). Not having ever been to the Viera Wetlands, I have not idea what the actual colors should look like, but your photo looks like it came right out Miami CSI, it has a definit yellow tone to it. I have to say that if I open both pictures and flip back and forth, I like Gale's colors better. In your defense, you did state that it was early A.M. so your Champion may be the result of the rising sun.

[Harryb]

Cool series Harry. Why do you guys need such large lenses ? Mannnnn that's huge. I'd just walk up to the eagle and tell him to come down so I could take his picture.....and hand him his fish afterwards. :D

Large lens :scratch what large lens?:dunno You can't mean that lil' ole 500mm can you!!?? Hell that's a small lens compared to the 400 2.8, the 600 F4 and the 300-800. We use that for our close-up work. :rofl

Thanks Mike.

[Harryb]

Where is the photo of the Porter or Gun Bearer . . . ah . . . Lens Bearer? Come on Harry, for crying out loud, that lens is almost as big as Gale is, surely there was a Porter to carry that monster.

I notice a certain family resemblance between your Champion and Gale's Eagle. But there is a difference in the color (WB?). Not having ever been to the Viera Wetlands, I have not idea what the actual colors should look like, but your photo looks like it came right out Miami CSI, it has a definit yellow tone to it. I have to say that if I open both pictures and flip back and forth, I like Gale's colors better. In your defense, you did state that it was early A.M. so your Champion may be the result of the rising sun.

Since she was using my 500mm for the shot I would have to say I was the lens bearer.

Its the same eagle just that mine was shot earlier in the day during the "golden" hours and that would explain the yellow cast. I could remove the cast in PS but since I got to the wetlands early in the day to catch that light it would be self-defeating.:D Since we were both shooting Nikons using automatic WB its not a WB issue. Also our shots were taken at different angles.

Gale's shot was fantastic and probably much better than my humble efforts.
:ivar

[Fabs]

Hope to get him on Monday. I know the perch.
Do you think it's closer from the road, rather tahn the flight deck?

[Harryb]

Hope to get him on Monday. I know the perch.
Do you think it's closer from the road, rather tahn the flight deck?

I think the road is a bit closer but the flight deck's higher elevation would give you a better angle. I've been shooting her from the road because of the lighting and she's usually severely backlit from the road by the flight deck. The deck's elevation & angle might ease the backlighting.

On my last 3 visits to the wetlands over the past week she has been on that perch at sunrise and has usually stayed there for at least an hour so unless she decides to change her pattern we should have a good shot at her on Monday.

When she flies off the perch its usually has been in the general direction of the deck so the chances of getting a good flight shot would be better from the deck depending on the lighting.

[jwear]

ahh fla and the eagle sticks :lust this is a great series Harry :thumb now can you send that 500 out here and Ben Glenn and I will go look for a stick:rolleyes oh yea with an eagle on it :thumb

[gavin]

beautfiful shots! now how big is that lens :)

[gluwater]

It's all just an optical illusion people. Gale is actually only 3 feet tall :roflj/k. I like the shots of the surroundings Harry. So many times we only show the animals but I like to see the environment also. Oh yeah, that Eagle shot ain't too shabby either :thumb.

[Harryb]

ahh fla and the eagle sticks :lust this is a great series Harry :thumb now can you send that 500 out here and Ben Glenn and I will go look for a stick:rolleyes oh yea with an eagle on it :thumb

Thanks Ben. Show me the eagle first and then we will discuss he lens. :D

[Awais Yaqub]

:D nice captures as always :D

[Gale]

Yep well thats almost right:>))
Sure was a great day thanks to Harry..
I'll be there Monday morning Harry:>))) heehee
Wouldn't pass up a chance to shoot, especially an EAGLE.
The 400 will be fine. Those shots turned out good to>)))
Going for a flight shot, next:>))
I liked using the 300 f4 as well.

The D200 is a marvelous camera and the colors are great. Love mine.
Yep time was a tad different and changing quite fast from moment to moment.
Yep early morning for sure.
Beautiful Images Harry:>))
Thank you again for a wonderful day.
Not to be ever forgotten.

Nice to see you all again.
Catch ya at Merritt 4.

Nick, yep i sure do remember you.
I check in here quite often, just have not been active.
oppps sorry about that.
i will try to post a bit more.
Thank You all

[ginger_55]

Cool series, Harry! That eagle looks as close as any I have seen, smile.

However, that does not look like my lens or my tripod!

Cool! ginger

Uh, no canon/nikon debate here, but I am curious, are the birds as leery of black as they are of white?

And since I have never seen a white gun barrel, what the H are they thinking? Any bird, not just raptors, any wild bird, I mean.

Kids, dogs, anything can walk along, but raise my camera, they either freeze for several hours, or they fly with their back ends towards me.

[Harryb]

beautfiful shots! now how big is that lens :)

Thanks Gavin. The lens ain't that big. The truth is that Gale is one of the "little people". :lol

[Harryb]

It's all just an optical illusion people. Gale is actually only 3 feet tall :roflj/k. I like the shots of the surroundings Harry. So many times we only show the animals but I like to see the environment also. Oh yeah, that Eagle shot ain't too shabby either :thumb.

Thanks Nick. Since Gale was shooting with my 500 it gave me a great opportunity to use my 17-35 lens.

[Brooks P]

Cool series, Harry! That eagle looks as close as any I have seen, smile.

However, that does not look like my lens or my tripod!

Cool! ginger

Uh, no canon/nikon debate here, but I am curious, are the birds as leery of black as they are of white?

And since I have never seen a white gun barrel, what the H are they thinking? Any bird, not just raptors, any wild bird, I mean.

Kids, dogs, anything can walk along, but raise my camera, they either freeze for several hours, or they fly with their back ends towards me.

Same here. I have actually touched Hummingbirds on my feeders. I can hold the feeder or stand next to the feeder and they will come to feed, but if I'm closer than about 15 feet and raise my camera, they're gone. Same with the Crows and Ravens. They will sit on the phone poles and lines and I can walk right up under them, but if I have a camera I can't cross the street or get closer than the width of a front yard.

[Harryb]

:D nice captures as always :D

Thank you Awais

[JenGrace]

Same here. I have actually touched Hummingbirds on my feeders. I can hold the feeder or stand next to the feeder and they will come to feed, but if I'm closer than about 15 feet and raise my camera, they're gone. Same with the Crows and Ravens. They will sit on the phone poles and lines and I can walk right up under them, but if I have a camera I can't cross the street or get closer than the width of a front yard.

It's their conspiracy to drive nature photographers insane... ~nods~

[Dee]

Boy that Viera Wetlands sure looks flat! And so many "posts." Wonder what kind of trees they were. But they make a good landing place for your birds!

So that stair structure is a viewing "blind" sort of? So you could carry up a folding chair and an umbrella and just sit and watch the wildlife?

What do you do when two cars on the road meet?

[Harryb]

Cool series, Harry! That eagle looks as close as any I have seen, smile.

However, that does not look like my lens or my tripod!

Cool! ginger

Uh, no canon/nikon debate here, but I am curious, are the birds as leery of black as they are of white?

And since I have never seen a white gun barrel, what the H are they thinking? Any bird, not just raptors, any wild bird, I mean.

Kids, dogs, anything can walk along, but raise my camera, they either freeze for several hours, or they fly with their back ends towards me.

Hey Ginger,

That "closeness" is why they invented 500mm, 600mm, and 800mm lenses. :wink

Birds will just about always know you are there especially if you are carrying a camera with along dark or white lens attached. The key is to appear as non-threathening as possible during your slooow approach. As long as the bird doesn't feel threathened it will usually not bolt. I don't think it really make a difference between white and black lenses.

[Dick on Aruba]

Wow, great place to be with a lot of extra batteries and CF cards.

Dick.

[Harryb]

Yep well thats almost right:>))
Sure was a great day thanks to Harry..
I'll be there Monday morning Harry:>))) heehee
Wouldn't pass up a chance to shoot, especially an EAGLE.
The 400 will be fine. Those shots turned out good to>)))
Going for a flight shot, next:>))
I liked using the 300 f4 as well.

The D200 is a marvelous camera and the colors are great. Love mine.
Yep time was a tad different and changing quite fast from moment to moment.
Yep early morning for sure.
Beautiful Images Harry:>))
Thank you again for a wonderful day.
Not to be ever forgotten.

Nice to see you all again.
Catch ya at Merritt 4.

Nick, yep i sure do remember you.
I check in here quite often, just have not been active.
oppps sorry about that.
i will try to post a bit more.
Thank You all

We had a really fine time shooting from sunrise to sunset that day. A day that would be hard to beat. :D

[gluwater]

What do you do when two cars on the road meet?
All the roads are one way.

[Harryb]

It's their conspiracy to drive nature photographers insane... ~nods~

I have always said that birds were basically evil creatures. They usually have a way to mess up your shot. :cry

[Harryb]

Boy that Viera Wetlands sure looks flat! And so many "posts." Wonder what kind of trees they were. But they make a good landing place for your birds!

So that stair structure is a viewing "blind" sort of? So you could carry up a folding chair and an umbrella and just sit and watch the wildlife?

What do you do when two cars on the road meet?

All of Florida is flat. :lol
The raptors love to roost on those dead trees. I ahve caught just about very local raptor on them at one time or the other.

There are two viewing decks in the wetlands. Very popular with birders and shooters. You can carry anything you want up there.

As Nick said the roads are marked one way and that is very frequently ignored as usually we don't have mor ethan 2-3 cars in there at a time. There is enough room for a car to pull to the side (carefully) to let another one pass them.

[raptorcaptor]

Nice story Harry!:thumb

[Dixie]

Excellent story. Nicely told and illustrated. :thumb

[Harryb]

Wow, great place to be with a lot of extra batteries and CF cards.

Dick.

Thanks Dick. It is a fine place to shoot and only 15 minutes from my house. :D

[Harryb]

Thanks Glenn and Dixie.