Have a great '08 Photography Group! (An eagle thread)

[Maestro]

I wish to thank DU admins and everyone else who has allowed me to indulge the Lounge and the Photography Group with my bird photography. It's about the only way for me to stay sane considering all the gnashing of teeth and exploding heads in GD and GD Politics lately plus my career as a school administrator. To that end, I got up early last Sunday and drove to the Texas Hill Country where I was able to photograph one of the most majestic birds of prey, a bald eagle; actually two. :) It's funny. If it only knew how the country it represents has been acting over the past 7 years, it probably would resign its duties as our national symbol. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the pics. I just had a grand time observing and taking pictures while talking to other birders and photographers over a nine hour period outside on a beautifully warm day.

Within about 30 minutes of arriving I was treated to this nice perch in good, amber light.



Here the baldie is on a different perch in front of its nest calling out. I do not know if you know this, but bald eagles have a rather wimpy little call. If you hear a sound byte of a raptor call on the radio or on TV, 9 times out of 10, what you are hearing is the call of a red tailed hawk.



While on the same perch, I got a nice front view of the baldie, but the shadow could not have been in a worse place. :rofl: Still I like the image.



It did turn for me though so I did get a good side view of the face.



I have some of the nest, but I will wait and post that in another thread. I don't want to overwhelm this thread. Those on dial-up are already going to have a tough time as it is.

By afternoon the sun had shifted the light was not as favorable no matter where I positioned myself. But, I got a few usable images.



Looking down, probably at a squirrel that was running around the tree. That squirrel had some cojones! But I suppose the river behind the nest kept the eagles well fed so there was no need to worry about the squirrel, at least for now.






I have more to post but I will leave you with this little diddy. As a big 4X4 pulled up from a day of hunting, I noticed a Bush/Cheney 04 sticker on the back. About that same time, I heard some of the photographers start to snicker. I look through my viewfinder to pull off this quick snapshot, not well exposed, but it doesn't need to be.



You have to wonder if the eagle saw the sticker as well. ;)

The above pics were all shot with a Canon 40D and my Sigma 500mm + a Sigma 1.4X TC. The shots were shot at either F8 or F9, ISO 200 and Shutter Speed of either 1/400 or 1/500, manual exposure, exposure program - aperture priority.

[Eurobabe]

1. Oh those are SO beautiful! What a majestic boid!

You lucky dog Maestro! I see them (not bald eagles though) always without my camera nearby. :(

I was really disappointed that I did not make it to the Sharjah Wildlife Preserve in the UAE, not enough time, and too far away from the park.

That first pix is a keeper!

-48

[Maestro]

2. Thanks 48.

I really enjoyed observing them. That first one is my fav too.