Blog Archives
Flying Above Me
Friends, this mature bald eagle flew over my lawn chair while i was sitting on hawk ridge waiting for the raptor migration. This was a wonderful warm sunny day and now the weather has changed to cold, snow and wind. Maybe we will get a very short Indian summer to enjoy the end of the raptor migration. til Tomorrow MJ
Bald Eagle in a Tree
Friends, this Bald Eagle is a mature bird and will soon find his mate and settle down to raise a youngster. But for now he is content to sit high in his tree and survey the surroundings. As I ran up and down the road to find the best background for this image, he calmly watched but did not move from his perch. If I returned today to this spot, he is probably still using this perch everyday. We had snow yesterday so branches would probably be covered in snow. I wonder if the sun will shine today. til Tomorrow MJ
Immature Eagle
Friends, This immature bald eagle was trying to have a little snack on a roadkill, but i was patiently sitting across the road and he remained in this tree until i went away. smart bird, but he was still snacking a few days later when i passed again, but I had taken this image so I did not stop. The ponds and lakes are all frozen this time of year so his fishing food source is not available. Bald eagles will scavenge what food is available and an occasional deer carcass means survival. His varied feathering marks him as a juvenile bird. The bald eagle gains his all-white head and tail over a period of five years His pate is turning a white but still has a strong eye stripe and a dark bill. I am not a birding expert so I will not venture a guess at the age of this eagle. til Tomorrow MJ
Another short commercial
Friends, I finally figured out how to offer you a pdf version of my recent book, you can purchase a pdf version to be read with Adobe Reader for $7.00 and download to almost any pc or mac that has Adobe Reader. follow the loons, eagles and other birds and flowers in Crex Meadows in the summer months. The order is Instant pdf and is at the top of the order column. the link is , so til Tomorrow MJ
COLD !!
Friends, i saw this at Crex when the full moon rose in the late afternoon, but it took two layers to show it to you. The Bald Eagle was the bottom layer with the moon added on top. This is a photograph of the feelings that at times inspire a artful approach. The moon and the eagle are in a very cold light against the pure blue sky and the temperature outside was also cold.So this morning a cold start to your day. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Renewal
Friends, The bald eagle and other birds get a renewal of feathers every year and some molt twice a year. When I see a wild bird up close and personal, I am renewed by an interaction with the wildness within me. Driving on a two track road back to middle north fork, I was following a mystery bird. When I reached a clearing near the lake, i saw this immature bald eagle perched in a tree. He is almost mature, probably about 3 or 4 years old, as his head and tail are almost white, but still containing some brown. I took this image as he flew from the perch, he circled the lake and landed again in the same tree snag. Must be a good fishing spot, below is the second photo as he departed. I was renewed and continued on my human way. til Tomorrow MJ
Young Eagle
Friends, this Bald Eagle is a youngster, but not sure if it is a hatch year bird or older, they don’t reach maturity until they are five years old and the plumage changes every year. This immature was perched in a birch tree on a cloudy day, hence the white background. Several Eagles of all ages were gathered above a deer that was probably a wolf kill. They were enjoying their breakfast til i came along and disturbed their Thanksgiving dinner (early), the wild have to eat when the opportunity arises, til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, This Bald Eagle is a mature adult and was hunting dinner on Fish Lake. They do a lot of gliding while hunting and are easier to photograph due to the lack of wing flapping. The shutter speed only has to freeze the glide and not all the wing flap motion so a slower shutter speed is adequate, slower in 1/1000 not the 1/1600 that i have to use on the wing flapping, a small difference but a whole aperture stop. More practicing shooting the flying birds. Today i will visit Hawk Ridge again and try for more raptor flying shots. til Tomorrow MJ
Osprey Hunting
Friends, this beautiful bird is a mature Osprey, as large as an eagle but much prettier in his white markings. Like the Bald Eagle, they eat primarily fish so he has dived talons first into the water but missed his fish. I was watching to see if he would dive on my baby loons who have drifted away from the adults, but he was more interested in what was under the surface. My loons were safe for another afternoon. In the image below you can see his detail and empty talons. til Tomorrow MJ
Bald Eagle chick-Eye to eye
Friends, this is the young Bald eagle chick that i have been following all spring. He is about 10 weeks old and took his first flight on 6-28-12. When i came back on the 30th, i fully expected that i would not see him at all, but he was sitting lower in the same tree about 20 feet away from my camera and on eye level. He is truly a magnificent bird and showing signs of being a fierce warrior and excellent hunter. After our stare down, he again flew away, til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 