Recently I got several calls about a new eagle nest on private land and of course I had to check it out. It was not too far from the road and it was the right set-up for photographing. During my first visit to the area, I spotted three different eagles around the nest, two full adults (5 years old or more) and one immature eagle that had most of his white head and tail but still had some light feathers on his chest and dark feathers on his head. He actually landed in the nest while the female was working on it. Eventually, the adult male showed up and ran him off, and I haven’t seen him since.
As a side note, one year at an eagle nest in the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, I observed three eagles involved with the nesting season, two adults and a 1-year-old. The immature one was apparently accepted by the adults; I saw him helping with egg incubation and later helping to feed the young.
So, with this new nest, I spent a few hours each morning for a few days to observe the adults’ habits and get them used to my vehicle being nearby. My goal was to get flight shots of them taking sticks to the nest.
The first few days there were heavy overcast skies, not good conditions for the kind of shots I wanted. One cloudy day there was a great deal of activity for a while and then the male took off to hunt for food. The female left the nest area and flew to perch in a tree down the road and watched the small marsh there for a fish. The tree was right next to the road and I figured she would fly off when I tried to move in on her. My long, slow, creeping approach with my vehicle seemed to be working, though, and she held her position. Getting her used to my vehicle and me never getting out of it for a few days previously paved the way. When out capturing wildlife images, I don’t get out of my photographing blind if a subject is around. Nothing spooks wildlife, especially “eagle eyes,” more than humans walking around!
Eventually, I actually got right under the female, but I couldn’t find a decent hole through all the branches. I took some shots and then drove down the road to try a different angle and again she held her position. After about 20 minutes she decided there were no fish around and left. So, the shots I got weren’t the best, but still, it was a real thrill to sit so close (50 feet) to such a majestic bird.
The first sunny morning found me waiting for the eagles to become active. With ideal conditions and the birds cooperating, I got some good shots as they worked the nest. On the cloudy day, the male eventually left to hunt and the female flew over to that tree. Again she allowed me to get right on top of her and this time she was in a much more open perch. The only problem was I would be shooting into a low morning sun. I moved down the road and then came back with the same approach, and again she basically ignored me. Finally, I found a position where I could photograph through a clear spot and not shoot directly into the sun.
However, the female’s back was to me and she was looking away. That’s not a flattering angle! So, I took a chance and said “hi” — and she turned her head to stare at me for a minute, giving me the opportunity that I had hoped for.
A few minutes later she turned around on the perch and was now facing me, only occasionally looking back to that little marsh. This went on for about 15 minutes until she finally left. I felt drained from the tension of being so close to her and getting so many great shots.
A few more days of cloudy mornings and then another sunny day with clear blue skies found me waiting patiently for some action again. I got some great flight shots with the male carrying tree branches. Then, as before, the female left the nest, going to the same tree down the road to look for fish. We “reunited” and I got a lot of terrific shots as she posed perfectly.
The bald eagle is not only the symbol of our country, it is quite a majestic bird to see flying or even perched. I have been involved with local eagles ever since the early 1990s when the fourth new nest in New York showed up on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. I worked on a video camera project in which cameras were set up above the nest to record the activities at the nest. The images were then sent to INWR headquarters and onto a TV monitor so the public could watch. (This was the first video camera set up on an eagle nest in the nation.) I was given the job of reviewing the many hours of VHS tapes that recorded the nest activities in order to put together a one-hour tape of the whole nesting season that could be shown at INWR headquarters. Boy, was that a popular thing with the public! That camera malfunctioned 20 years ago and the present management has not fixed it; what a loss to the public!
After so many years of being closely involved with eagles, my heart still skips a beat when I spot one, and I’m sure yours will too. As far as photographing them goes, I feel very fortunate to have experienced so many wonderful hours with them.