My experience with eagles tells me they are very much individuals when it comes to how they operate around and adjust to humans. I have had eagles allow me to paddle my canoe right under the tree they were perched in for some great photos. Others are skittish and will take off upon the slightest appearance of a human.
Last year, I kept an eye on a female eagle perched 30 feet up in a tree right next to the road. I saw her on several occasions and always approached her very slowly, never getting out of my vehicle or even opening the door, always having my camera ready on the window edge. This road had little traffic and that was the “icing on the cake” as I was able to turn my car sideways a bit to get the shots. This eagle had learned to trust me; on some occasions, I “talked” to her to get her to turn her head for just the right pose, and that didn’t spook her at all. It was very exciting for me, being so close to a wild bald eagle and having her trust me that much.
Last week, a friend called to tell me the location of a fresh road-killed deer about 100 yards off the road that had an immature adult eagle feeding on it. Usually, I don’t get too excited about such reports, because other folks see it too, and make sudden stops, sometimes even jumping out of their vehicle to get a picture. (Hint: your chances of getting a good picture of that scene are much better if you just roll down your window and take pictures from inside your vehicle.) By the time I get to those locations, the bird has taken off or is so spooked by vehicles stopping that it flies off when one just slows down. But I thought this particular road had little traffic on it and it was a fresh kill with eagles on it, so I drove to the scene.
Yep, there was a brown immature eagle next to the deer carcass and I got one quick shot before he took off and flew back into the edge of the woods. Considering the winter conditions and the fact that this immature bird was not a skillful hunter yet, I thought that if I sat there long enough in my vehicle without moving, the bird would eventually see me as not dangerous and return to the carcass. Well, that didn’t happen, and for the next three hours we stared at each other, him in a tree 300 yards from the road and me in my car. I had missed breakfast, so eventually I headed home with the thought of returning early in the afternoon for another try. When I returned, the eagle was on the deer again, but my even more cautious approach didn’t work and we spent another two hours staring at each other.
The next morning, I figured my best bet was to be there before sunrise, ready to take pictures before the eagles’ arrival. There was a solid snow covering on the ground, and two adults and one immature bird were already there, but I was able to sneak into a good position. They were busy “working” on the deer and I got some great shots. Eventually, one adult left and was soon followed by the other. The immature eagle stayed behind for a while, offering me more good shots before he finally took off.
The third morning, I was there early again, but the immature eagle beat me to the scene. The snow covering was now gone and maybe that helped me “sneak” closer. I stopped way back and inched forward with short steps only when his head was down. There were a lot of cars going by, but none stopped or slowed down and I was able to get into a great position. The eagle was busy, busy tearing pieces off the deer carcass and seemed not to notice my car parked just off the road when he looked up. I was getting some good shots when he suddenly began staring up into the sky behind me, a sign to me that another eagle was approaching. Sure enough, an adult eagle glided in, and my camera covered that event. I got more good images as the eagles jockeyed for positions on the deer. I was having a ball with them when again a stare into the sky announced another bird was coming. It was the mate to the male adult on the deer and now I had three eagles in front of me, feeding and reacting to each other. My camera was smoking and “meal time” went on for a good duration before the eagles got their fill and headed out.
Patience and determination won out. Not only did I get some great shots, I also got to observe the interactions of adult eagles and the immature one at a large kill sight. Nature never ceases to amaze me with its beauty, its neat activities and the great opportunities given to me to capture it.