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View Full Version : Anyone got a 600mm I can borrow???


DoctorIt
Mar-28-2005, 06:02 AM
MrsIt's parents live about 2 blocks away from the Connecticut river. There is a path that runs along the dike bordering the river in this spot. If you walk straight to the river from their house and look across the river, there is a bald eagle nest. I've been going there since last fall with my camera hoping to spot one. Several times now, i've shown up to nothing, only to have someone walking their dog on the path tell me: "oh, I just saw them 30 minutes ago!"
:wxwax

Well, I finally caught mama and papa eagle at home this time. The only trouble is, the river is soooo w-i-d-e!!! My 300mm with 1.4x tc still only gave me this:

http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/18367094-M.jpg

That's a resized full frame with a cropped 100% inset. There is a dead tree, rather large, that juts out into the river directly beneath where this eagle is sitting. I'm told they very often sit out on it looking for lunch or dinner. the tree sticks out pretty far into the water, so if I'm lucky enough to catch them there one day, i may get a halfway decent shot, or at least unobstructed by other branches.

Amazing birds though. I watched them for almost an hour. Papa is there on that branch. He just sat there and looked around. Each time he turned his head, even being that small in my viewfinder, I could see that gorgeous white head and giant yellow beak flash at me. He finally decided to turn his butt at me, so I left. Mama eagle was in their huge nest just to the right, poking just her head out (I'll upload a couple more later, connection was acting up at home).

So yeah, bottom line, I need bigger glass! :lol3

jwear
Mar-28-2005, 06:24 AM
what about swimming over :huh i have the same trouble with the harrier it moves away Jeff

Harryb
Mar-28-2005, 06:29 AM
I know the feeling. I have an active eagle's nest behind the local fire house that has two young eagles and two parent eagles in it. By regulation you are not allowed any closer than 200 yards to an active nest and my 300mm and 1.4 or my 2.0 just can't get me close enough.

Once you get done with that 600mm ship it down to me please. :D

Andy
Mar-28-2005, 06:37 AM
(not my photograph,it was sent to me in an email.)

http://williams.smugmug.com/photos/12639292-L.jpg

DoctorIt
Mar-28-2005, 06:40 AM
what about swimming over :huh i have the same trouble with the harrier it moves away JeffActually, there is a similar solution... Uncle Dave has a boat, so once that goes in this summer, we'll get closer. :thumb

You're not allowed on the other side, protected land for those birds (as it should be).

jwear
Mar-28-2005, 06:58 AM
(not my photograph,it was sent to me in an email.)

http://williams.smugmug.com/photos/12639292-L.jpgdoes that media or needs a medic :dunno and doc the thing is the same a fence is betwen me and a shot but it is a nesting area someone cut a whole in the fence but i did not go in [stood a the cut a long time tho] a boat is a good idea over the swimming one Jeff

jwear
Mar-28-2005, 07:02 AM
this is the GBH nest as close as i can get even if you had a great lens they are hidden

DoctorIt
Mar-30-2005, 04:26 AM
I wanted to post this a couple days ago, but man has my week turned horrible (I guess deadlines do that). So here is the other eagle. I'm calling this one mama eagle. She and the nest were just to the right of the original papa eagle, they were just far enough apart to fit in one frame when zoomed in all the way. Again, not a great picture, but this one also gives you the scope of the nest! It's HUGE! Look at the logs they wove together into that fort - again, amazing birds!

http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/18555604-L.jpg

I actually think I deleted the origianl photo from smugmug (I red-edited it) so it will be missing from the first post. One more time, here's papa eagle:

http://doctorit.smugmug.com/photos/18555590-L.jpg