Seeing one Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is pretty exciting, but seeing two together is even more awesome. I spotted these two eagles on Monday morning at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
At a certain location within the refuge there is a tall pole, which resembles a telephone pole, with a wooden platform. I am not sure of its purpose, but several times in the past I have seen a bald eagle perching on it. I have tried several times to get shots of the eagle, but have generally been unsuccessful, because of the height of the pole and the fact that I cannot get close to it.
When I spotted an eagle there yesterday morning, I decided to give it another shot, hoping that my monopod would help me to get a sharp enough shot to survive a severe crop. As my eye was pressed to the viewfinder taking some shots, imagine my surprise when another bald eagle entered the frame and landed next to the first one. They perched together for a little while and then the larger of the two, which I later learned is the female, began to embrace the other, eventually using her beak to give what looked like a kind of massage. What was going on?
Thanks to some experienced birders in a Facebook group, I learned that the breeding season for eagles in our area begins in early December and that this is likely a bonded pair. I also discovered that the pecking that I observed, as seen in the second photo below, is almost certainly a kind of courting behavior.
I think that there may be several pairs of bald eagles at this wildlife refuge, so I will keep my eyes open for more of this kind of behavior and for more photographic opportunities.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Stunning portraits. That first image is particularly striking.
Thanks, Laura. I was a bit surprised the shot of the couple turned out so well. As you know with your boys, having multiple subjects really complicates the task of getting good photos.
Ha ha! Yes. I definitely do.
Wonderful photos, Mike. Thanks for the information. The bald eagles we have around here nest in an area that is closed to access from November until April (or July if mating is successful).
Fabulous photos! I just started to go to Occoquan Bay this year but know at some point they will close the road to access viewing of the eagles’ nest. I believe it is sometime in the spring, though. We just saw a pair in a tree at Blackwater NWR but they were not perching together.
I’ve seen eagles at various places in the refuge, sometimes perched along the water and sometimes a bit more inland. Earlier in the year some of the roads were closed when the eagles were raising their young. In December, the refuge will be closed a couple of times for deer hunting, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the eagles and the corresponding road closures.
♥️♥️♥️
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Great photos!
Thanks, Dan. As is often the case,there was a lot of luck and good timing involved in getting the eagle shots.
Yeah. there is a hawk living somewhere in a woods near my house and I have been trying to photograph it. it is not easy.
Excellent capture Mike!
What a great capture and awesome display!
Wow. That’s the only word for these two photos.
Thanks, Nina.