Last Wednesday was a wonderful day for photographing Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I spotted them at several locations on the refuge and even managed to get a few portrait-style shots in which the eagles look particularly regal and majestic.
Earlier in the day the sun was shining brightly and I had the brilliant blue sky as a backdrop, as you see in the second photo below. However, that eagle was buried a bit in the vegetation and the background is a little more cluttered than I would have preferred. Still, I like the expression on the eagle’s face, the kind of semi-smile that some people make when you ask them to pose.
Later in the day the skies clouded over and the color of the background was much more subdued. Somehow, that seems to fit well with the serious expression on the face of the eagle in the first image. I like too that he was perched on a “snag,” a dead or dying tree that is still standing, so there were no distracting small tree branches.
I am always happy when I manage to see a Bald Eagle, one of the symbols of the United States, and even more thrilled when I can capture images like this one.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Very regal! Nice shots, Mike.
Excellent 👏👏👏. The details in that first shot are really good !
Thanks, Ted. I was fortunate to have a clear shot and I think my monopod helped a bit in getting it pretty sharp.
Monopod, it gives… and it takes
For shots like this, it definitely helps. When it comes to in flight shots, it can sometimes be a hindrance. 🙂
😂, I tell people to keep clear, start swinging that thing like a bat 😂😂😂. Whirling it around to get the shot. 😁😁
Very nice series of Eagle images! Enjoyed seeing them!
Magnificent! I love it, Mike.
More terrific captures, Mike.
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Magnificent portraits, Mike! I really enjoyed your comparison with this semi-smile of a human subject posing !
Beautiful shots.
These are very nice shots, Mike. Love the details in their plumage and the tilted head in the first shot!
I love when I get a shot of a wild creature with a tilted head–it makes it seem like they are really paying attention. My son has a German Shepherd and she sometimes cocks her head when she looks at me and it cracks me up every time.
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