Bald Eagles in October

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Bald Eagles in October

October 25, 2015 by Mike Powell

It was cool and cloudy yesterday at Huntley Meadows Park, but my spirits were brightened considerably when I saw three Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) soaring briefly over the park. It looked to be two adults and one juvenile, perhaps a family on a Saturday outing.

The eagles were pretty far away and I had my telephoto zoom lens extended as far as it could go as I attempted to track the flying eagles. Occasionally two of them or even all three would come into the frame for a split second, but then they would be soaring off into different parts of the sky.

I’m including an assortment of shots to give you a sense of the experience. I consider any day that I spot a Bald Eagle and get recognizable shots of it to be a wonderful day.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, Bald Eagle, birds in flight, Canon 50D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Huntley Meadows Park, juvenile Bald Eagle, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 15 Comments

15 Responses

on October 25, 2015 at 7:53 am | Reply Eric Klingenberg

Impressive pictures
- on October 25, 2015 at 8:32 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Eric. It’s always a challenge to take action shots at a distance and I’m happy these ones turned out pretty well.
on October 25, 2015 at 8:25 am | Reply Dan Antion

Great shots Mike! They are such remarkable birds.
- on October 25, 2015 at 8:32 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Dan. I’m always thrilling to see them, even when they are merely soaring in the sky. Of course, I wouldn’t complain if one swooped down and caught a fish, but that has not yet happened.
  - on October 25, 2015 at 10:07 am Dan Antion
    
    I’m sure you will get that shot at some point Mike. I’m just glad you share them with us.
  - on October 25, 2015 at 1:29 pm Mike Powell
    
    I figure the chances are much better of getting my “aspirational shots” if I go out a lot rather than sit on the couch at home. As I have learned, there is a huge amount of luck involved in photographing wildlife.
on October 25, 2015 at 9:02 am | Reply gaiainaction

Great shots Mike!
on October 25, 2015 at 9:34 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

Yes, I’d say that was a good day!
on October 25, 2015 at 10:46 am | Reply naturesnippets

The three in the third picture look like a smiling face.
on October 25, 2015 at 4:26 pm | Reply svtakeiteasy

Nice to get them together Mike – that woukd bring a smile to my face too!
- on October 25, 2015 at 4:29 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Chris. I feared that the only ones I would get with them together would be them flying away from me (like the one with all three), so it was nice to get the two adults together.
on October 25, 2015 at 4:53 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

Lucky you!
on October 25, 2015 at 10:07 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

Bald eagles to me are the most amazing birds, you really have some gorgeous shots. If you are not aware the area along the Skagit River just north of Seattle is the largest over-winter population in the Continental US. It is an amazing opportunity to photograph these birds.
on October 27, 2015 at 8:43 am | Reply centralohionature

We are still waiting to see our first fall/winter Bald Eagles around Griggs Reservoir near our home in Columbus, OH.
- on October 28, 2015 at 4:52 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I hope they arrive soon. We are fortunate and seem to have bald eagles here most of the year.