Golden Eagle – Out, Damn’d Wires, Out!

I have a small list of personal nemesis species but if forced to choose the top contender it would have to be the shy and elusive Golden Eagle.  I’d estimate that I get a reasonable chance with one of these birds about two times per year and every time something goes wrong that prevents me from getting the photos I covet so much.  Two mornings ago (in western Utah county) it was those ever-pesky power lines.

 

golden eagle 1168 ron dudley

  1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon 100-400 @ 350mm, not baited, set up or called in 

This beautiful bird was the tamest Golden Eagle I’ve ever encountered.  I spent some time with it twice that morning (at least I believe it was the same bird) and each time it was on a power pole next to a road.  I got lots of shots of it on the pole but I was after flight shots so I had to hope for the best during take-off, which didn’t happen.

This is the first pole I found the eagle on.  I watched it go after prey three times and the third time I believe it was successful with a rabbit (both rabbit and bird disappeared on the  ground behind a juniper tree) so it didn’t return to the perch.  This shot isn’t particularly sharp, I think the wires may have interfered with my autofocus.

 

 

golden eagle 1188 ron dudley

  1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon 100-400 @ 400mm, not baited, set up or called in 

But on one of its earlier forays it did return to the pole and once again those blasted wires (and circumstances in general) messed up my shots.

 

 

golden eagle 1165 ron dudley1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark ll, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4  tc, taken and processed in JPEG, not baited, set up or called in

Forty five minutes later I encountered what I believe to be the same eagle several miles away on another power pole.  This time it was side-lit and a little less cooperative though still very tame.  I had to pass this bird in my pickup directly under the eagle and it didn’t even flinch.

I hope you’ll forgive yet another post about opportunity and failure rather than excellent images but one of my goals with this blog was to document some of the trials and tribulations (along with the occasional triumphs) of bird photography.  My nemesis curse continues but damn I enjoyed watching this bird up close as it preened, stretched and just sat there looking regal!

Ron

PS – one of the things I particularly enjoy about Golden Eagles is their “golden mane”, most easily seen in the first image.  My apologies to Lady Macbeth for the near-quote in my title but it just kept coming to mind while I was composing this post.

28 Comments

  1. That 3rd shot is fantastic!

  2. What a magnificent creature!

  3. Actually, I prefer to see this as 2 of the most magnificent photos of wires and poles I’ve ever seen! 🙂 Never seen them augmented with such magnificence.

  4. Sensational shots, wires and all.
    Charlotte

  5. I cringed at the proximity of those lines to those wings. Such incredible spatial awareness.
    I had never known where the ‘golden’ in their name came from – thank you.
    WHAT a bird, what a privilege to see. (And yes, I did notice those glorious leggings – britches sounds a bit disrespectful.)

  6. Good on both of you, Ron and Gail! I appreciate that you are willing to consider letting Hawks Aloft use those photos. It’s so frustrating that in prime Golden habitat, power poles are often the tallest perch around and therefore like a magnet for these birds. Goldens are definitely my favorite raptor – both to see and to care for, rehab-wise. Well, maybe barn owls, too … oh, heck – gotta love ’em all!

    • Louise, I think that if I did what you do I’d have a new “favorite raptor” with every new bird I treated! But yes, we’ve just “gotta love’em all!”

  7. You do know that the perception of one persons failure is usually very personal, not necessarily what others would feel, or see. I am in full agreement with that you take your shots when the opportunity presents itself, in other words damn the torpedo’s full speed ahead! And, look what you got! Fantastic images of a Golden!
    I was concerned when I saw that his wing was between two wires, but assumed that there must have been enough distance between the wires not to affect his flight or wing beat.

    • Dick, This bird knew exactly where its wings were during the entire maneuver. I saw no contact with the wires – pretty amazing considering the fact that those two wires its wing is between seemed pretty close to each other (as can be judged by the fact that they’re both relatively sharp – you know, that depth of field thing…)

  8. Wires are a regrettable fact of life whether viewing birds or landscapes (though I still have hopes for undergrounding in my area). Regardless, your efforts to catch this beauty are much appreciated. The Golden is golden, no matter what interferes with the view!

  9. As a bird volunteer I understand all the feelings about bird deaths in wire, wind farms and electricity, but Ron, the photos took my breath away. My mind took the wires away as well. Thanks

  10. The wires are annoying, yes, but it’s still nice to be able to see a bird that I might have seen at a considerable distance a few years ago (Kodiak Island). I find the feet fascinating, and they show very nicely in these photos. I especially like seeing the feet as the bird is about to land in the second photo.

    • Susan, these eagles are so awe inspiring that I’m sure I can remember each and every experience I’ve had with them over the years and I don’t have to look at my images to do it. “Kodiak Island” – I’m jealous.

      • Lots and lots of Eagles on Kodiak Island. My favorite memory is of a Bald Eagle who would sit on a lamp post watching people for a while, fly a short distance to a second lamp post and watch for a while, before returning to the first one. As you said, they are very memorable birds, and this is an encounter I will never forget.

  11. Ah, but not even wires can dim the magnificence of these gorgeous creatures!!!

  12. I understand your frustration. However, I think that last image is off the charts fabulous!!! Wow!!!

  13. Hello Ron: These images are awesome. The magnificence of the Golden Eagle distracts my attention from the un-natural elements in the picture. It is what it is. I appreciate the difficulty to eliminate these intrusive objects from your images but sometimes it can’t be avoided. I applaud your consideration to allow Gail Garber to use your images for such a worthy cause. Thanks for sharing these images – wires be-damned. I hope it works out that she can use them. =)

  14. I am also a wild bird rehabber, and we see too many large raptors electrocuted on these power lines. I couldn’t help cringing when I saw those wings interlacing with the wires! I am so glad you did not have to witness the worst….

    • I always think about that possibility, Deborah – especially with eagles and their huge wingspans. I also can’t help looking under the wires and poles for evidence of past tragedies. Thankfully it’s something I’ve seldom found. I’m sure that’s at least partly due to the fact that Rocky Mountain Power has done an excellent job of making their power lines compliant with regulatory guidelines meant to protect large birds of prey.

  15. Hi Ron,

    I sure understand your frustration with utility wires, but these images are exactly what I need for my work with the utility industry. I spend much of my time working to reduce avian mortalities due to electrocution and collision. Might you be willing to share these with me for that purpose only? I will always credit you for their use.

    Thanks so much!
    Gail Garber
    Executive Director
    Hawks Aloft, Inc.
    http://www.hawksaloft.org

    • Gail, as you know I wholeheartedly support the efforts of Hawks Aloft and would most likely allow such a use. Please send me a little more info about exactly how the images would be used (you can use “contact me” at the top of this page).

      Actually I have more images of this eagle maneuvering through the wires and on these poles that might also be useful to you for the purpose you describe…

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