The eaglets in one of the two nests that I have been monitoring at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge appear to be almost full grown, but both of the parents were still keeping a watchful eye on them this past Saturday.
On this day I was shooting with my Canon SX50 superzoom camera and was able to zoom out and give you a sense of the relative position of the nest and the branches on which the adult Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were perched. I have featured this perch, which appears to be a favorite spot for these eagles, several times in this blog, but to the best of my knowledge this is the first time to show you the nest itself.
As you can see, the leaves have returned to the trees and it is getting harder and harder to get unobstructed shots of the eagle nest. I was hoping to get a shot of both of the eaglets, but the second one remained elusive and was hidden from view the entire time that I observed the eagles.
It would also have been nice to shoot from an angle in which the lighting was better, but essentially there was only a single location from which I had a clear visual path to the nest. I did change position for the shot of the two adults—the lighting was somewhat better, though I was still shooting through a tangle of branches. Sometimes you just have to take what you get and make the best of it.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Benjamin listened attentively as I read the post and then examined each of the enlarged photos. He said : “The Eaglets are not babies any more, but the beautiful Mommy and Daddy are still protecting them and the nest. When will they get white feathers on their heads?” The parents do appear alert. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
It takes as much as five years for eagles to get the solid white heads and tails–they change gradually during that time. Here’s a link to a cool website with all kinds of info about bald eagles that the two of you might enjoy. http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/
Benjamin and I appreciate your sharing this informative website. He especially liked the progressive photos of the changing appearance in their feathers. I was quite impressed when he told me that their first feathers can help them hide until they are older. I had not thought of that. Thank-you again, Mr. Mike!!
They look pretty good up there, Mike.
That last image is so beautiful Mike!
Thanks, Chris. As I may have mentioned before, I am thrilled any time that I am able to get shots of an eagle and capturing images of a couple together is even more special.
Great image of the full nest with the parents standing guard and nice to see the whole setup. Very nice shot showing how connected the adult pair is, perching together.
Beautiful birds, and Super Bowl winners!
Indeed they are! Here in the Washington DC area, we tend to focus more on the Stanley Cup champions this year. 🙂
I live in Sharks territory, but I was rooting for the Capitals.