Recently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the only views I have gotten of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been of them flying away from me. Yesterday I got lucky and caught a glimpse through the foliage of one sitting in a distant tree in what appears to be a nest. Earlier this year, several roads in the refuge were closed after two eaglets were born. I don’t know if this was the nesting site, but suspect it might have been.
I was a long way away, but had a small visual tunnel through the trees that gave me a mostly unobstructed view of the eagle. I tried to move slowly, although I figured that the eagle was unaware of my presence. Apparently I underestimated the sharpness of the eagle’s vision, because it took off from the nest not long after I began shooting.
As I have said in the past, however, any day that I am able to see and photograph a Bald Eagle is a wonderful day.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
So handsome!
We have a pair residing near our lake here and we get a glimpse of one or the other maybe once a week or so, but we hear them more frequently, perched in one of the tall trees. But you’re right–they are awfully hard to see clearly, especially when I’m trying to get a photo!
That is cool to,Gary, have eagles so close by. Of course, I can’t complain much, because the Potomac River has a pretty good number of them in various locations, so I see them fairly often. Getting a shot, of course is another story.
Magnificent!
Wonderful photos and utterly perfect with the clear blue sky behind. Love these!
Thanks, Liz. Recently we’ve had a spell of really overcast weather and it was nice for a change to see a patch of blue sky. It’s something that I take for granted, but I sure do miss it when it is gone for several days in a row.
Great shots Mike! It’s nice that so many of us are seeing eagles again. I remember when there were none here.
Thanks, Allen. We are blessed in my area to have a good number of bald eagles. I too remember when they were an endangered species.
Beautiful!
Thanks, Robert.