I was looking high and in the distance and the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) came in low and was almost on top of me before I saw it yesterday morning at Huntley Meadows Park. I had to scramble and pull back on my zoom lens to capture this image, which barely fit into the frame of the viewfinder. (The EXIF data for the shot indicate that it was shot at 309mm of my 150-600mm Tamron telephoto zoom lens.)
I feel like I should have been able to take better advantage of the situation that presented itself, but I am not disappointed. As I have noted repeatedly, any day with a bald eagle is a great day.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Magnificent !
Thanks, Dan. It’s easy for me sometimes to overanalyze the process of taking photos and forget how cool the experience was. The moment was literally breathtaking when I saw the eagle heading straight in my direction at a low altitude as I stood at the edge of a field. The power and beauty of a bald eagle are impressive–“magnificent” is a good descriptor for the bird (and I am happy to convey part of that magnificence in the image).
Wow ~ to see a Bald Eagle so close is so fantastic. I’ve only seen them from a distance and that was amazing enough for me! Such spectacular creatures! Always great popping in to check your blog ~ you never disappoint.
Thanks. I try to go out shooting as often as I can, mostly in the local area, i.e. with a half-hour drive of where I live. I am amazed by the variety of things that I see–the challenge is to capture some of that beauty with my camera. We are blessed in the Washington D.C. area to have a good number of bald eagles–it’s not rare for me to see one, but it is rare to see one this close-up.
Wow ~ to get wind a bald-pated Eagle so finale is so fantastical. glorious !
Thanks, It was an amazing experience.