Bald Eagles - day 3 part 2

The rest of the photos from the last day.

Looking across the Mississippi River to the Illinois side.

I found the photos where the feathers are in the sun light had the most detail.

The photos where the birds were backlit by the sun lost all detail in the wings.

Dam 14 in the background.

Lunch, sushi anyone?

This and the next 5 are one continuous shoot that took about a second. Each pass was very similar. Swoop in, flare just before they hit the water.

Reach down and grab.

The wings both reach forward for one powerful stroke to pull up from the water and take off.

Flay way and find a comfortable tree.

Relax and eat lunch.

Bald Eagles - day 3

We started the last day with an hour talk by an expert in photographing eagles, he had lot of useful hints and information that helped greatly. I ended up many more good photos than I did the first 2 days.

One of the few times I saw two eagles flying together.

Coming in for a fish.

This and the next 6 photos are all one continuous sequence of a bird coming in a catch a fish.

Reaching for a fish.

Missed, you can see the fish splashing back into the water.

This and the next 7 photos are one sequence, 6 frames per second.

Talons forward and ready to strike.

Fish in talons and taking off.

Looking down to check his catch.

Flying off to eat lunch in one of the trees.

Bald Eagles - day 2

Today was colder and sunnier and more people and fewer eagles. In fact there were way more people than eagles and they birds spent most of the day sitting in trees or soaring over the river. I think only one time did one swoop into fish and I missed it because I was in the car warming up.

Lots of people and lots of expensive cameras, not so many eagles.

So we photographed geese.

And dead leaves.

And eagles sitting in trees.

Eagles landing in trees.

And lots of eagles soaring.