I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such an impressive demonstration of power in flight from a bird. And then this eagle pulled off a spectacular landing.
1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning in Box Elder County I had been photographing this juvenile Golden Eagle on top of a cliff when it suddenly flew down at a steep angle and landed in the grasses far below. It was a long distance from me and buried in the grasses so when it looked like it wasn’t going anywhere for a while I stowed my gear and began to drive down the road to look for other birds.
But wouldn’t you know, the eagle chose that moment to take off and land on the cliff again (it’s a cross between a cliff and a small mountain, I’ll call it a cliff). In this image the cliff is out of frame to the right and from this starting point it’s an extremely steep angle for a bird this size (up to 10 lbs and a 7 1/2′ wingspan) to fly directly up to the top of the cliff.
I didn’t even consider the possibility that the eagle would attempt it.
1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
But that’s exactly what this huge bird did.
By the time I got my lens on the eagle again it was already half way up the mountain. Partly because of the unexpectedly steep angle I had a difficult time keeping the bird in frame and in focus so most of these shots were either too soft or clipped. But I wanted to include this one to demonstrate the steepness of the climb (no, I didn’t rotate the image to make it look even steeper than it was).
The goal of the eagle was to land on a small outcropping near the top of the cliff.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Here the eagle is approaching that outcropping on the right.
I love this landing posture for many reasons – including those huge, outstretched feet and talons and the tail spread at an angle to show us the beautiful white markings of the juvenile. I do wish this image was just a little sharper (I had to apply more sharpening to the bird during processing than I like to) but I won’t complain too much…
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in
Two frames later the eagle touched down.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
And in the next photo the bird has landed (“The eagle has landed”… 🙂 ).
I like to scroll back and forth between this image and the previous one to see the dramatic demonstration of how those legs have been used as a shock absorber for the impact of landing.
For me it was a jaw-dropping experience to watch the power of this huge bird as it climbed at such a steep angle to reach the outcropping. That angle would be one thing if the eagle had time to build up more speed for the climb, but it didn’t – it had been too close to the cliff when it started for that. So the power of the ascent was simply amazing to watch.
And to climax it all with such dramatic landing postures was just about more than I could bear, in a good way…
Ron
Awesome photos all. That “approach” shot (3rd last) is particularly striking.
Beautiful series, thanks for capturing this feat of athleticism. The 3rd photo reminds me of native american dancers wearing eagle feathers.
The folly of youngsters!!!! I did a lot of things when I was young that I wouldn’t even think about now. 🙂 Great shots, Ron.
As did I!
Amazing photos, good reflexes!
A golden eagle’s power and size can be seen from a thousand feet below them ! Which is how I saw the first, and only golden eagle I’ve seen so far! I will see more someday…
I don’t like the word favorite, because I love all parts of nature, but the golden eagle has to be the bird that inspires respect and awe into me most, and by far.
Thanks, Levi. I like the way you worded your last sentence.
Once again LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the beautiful different pictures
Thanks very much, Trudy.
Very nicely done on a super species Ron! Looks like excellent detail on the eagle. You certainly have an amazing abundance and diversity of birdlife down there.
How very nice to hear from you again, Gary. Just seeing your name brought back fond memories from NPN days. Thanks for chiming in!
WOW! Magnificent! Sigh (in utter wonderment). This is why I find falconry so very addictive. To be able to see these things up close and personal, to feel the power of those wings and the amount of air displaced on a downswing–it’s just all too much to be able to choose to live in a normal realm. There’s a special, over-the-top magic about raptors that routinely drops my jaw to the ground. I’d love to be able to explain it, but our language just does not go there.
Thank you SO much for sharing this series. Goldens…sigh!
Agreed, Laura. For me there’s absolutely nothing that compares to a Golden.
But redtails and Harris’ hawks come awfully darn close 🙂 The Evil Kestrel Princess, grumble!
Jeeeez! Ron, this was an “11 WOWS” image!!! I counted them…WOW!!! ( Make that an even dozen!!!!)…
🙂
Make that a Baker’s dozen…13 (so far)
WOW! WOW!. WOW.! You’ve been getting some WONDERFUL shots of your “former” nemesis!!! Love the straight-as- arrow-heading-for-its-target look in the second, the flair of the tail(showing the markings), the athletic body and tail position and the britches in the third, the perfect sticking of the landing in the 4th and how the aelerons are all fine-tuning the landing…each doing its part to make a perfect landing! I LOVE Golden eagles, especially the young ones, the spotted eagles (wambli gleska)…I have been given several of those beautiful tail feathers on different occassions , always an honor to have, but have always passed them on to others (Lakota)…that was ALMOST as satisfying as having them myself. When you hold one, and press down with it, you can’t help but be incredibly impressed with the lift pressure and resistance exerted by even a single feather. There’s an extremely, powerfully spiritual feeling about them….even for a hedonistic barbarian like me…good work, Ron!!!!!
“even for a hedonistic barbarian like me”
Ha, we’re two peas in a pod, Patty. Thanks very much.
Wow Ron! I love these images. Not only how you captured the power legs of the eagle landing, also the first image of that insane flight angle. It is interesting to thing of the physics of flight here. How much lift the eagle gets from what was probably only a couple wing flaps! Great images!
“It is interesting to thing of the physics of flight here.”
Isn’t that the truth, ED! These birds are incredible athletes.
I think you have some candidates for your favorite photo of 2017 — and for mine! Goldens are my favorites! Go ahead and take the rest of the year off. 😉
These shots are AWESOMATIOUS (for when a simple awesome just won’t do)!!!!!!!!!!
A former music teacher/conductor/mentor/friend of mine had a saying: “Be at the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment, and the right attitude.” You’ve epitomized these words today.
You may be right about my future favorite photos of 2017, Marty. Your friend sounds like a wise person.
Ron… You are gifted..wonderful captures..
Thank you, Anil.
Given the angle from which the Eagle approached that outcropping, I was surprised to see that it was able to land and stay put, rather than fall off. I would have fallen off that perch had I been able to make it up that far. 🙂 It took me a while to decipher the body position in the third photo, even though the bird’s body really wasn’t contorted. The landing definitely shows the power of those wings. Simply amazing. I am so glad you were able to both see and capture this action.
Susan, at that angle of approach it had to hit the outcropping just right to not struggle with balance immediately after touchdown. This bird hit it perfectly and didn’t struggle with balance one bit. In other words it absolutely nailed a very difficult landing.
The Sully Sullenberger of Golden Eagles! 🙂
Gorgeous and interesting series! I find the 3rd image very interesting as it shows the tail being ruddered and how all the wing feathers – primaries, secondaries, coverts – are all engaged in the landing. Thanks for the share!
You noticed the same thing I did about the tail in that shot, Nancy. The bird was making some last minute adjustments to hit its target just right, which it did. It looked like an absolutely perfect landing to me – not an easy feat, especially for such a young bird and considering the unusual approach angle!
Wow, I mean wow. Guess you made the right decision to go birding yesterday rather than stay home and answer all those conjectures why the wing tips were not sharp. Lucky you and great shots!
Yup, I’m glad I went, Frank – although I did feel badly about not responding individually to all those comments.
Stunning, Ron, simply stunning!
Thanks, Diane.
Spectacular series of shots Ron. The ascending and “Touchdown” shots are like nothing I’ve seen before. I really appreciate you sharing them with us. Appears that Canon did a good job on the 500.
Thanks, Bill. Canon solved my overexposure problem but it’s still too early to tell about my intermittent and variable sharpness issue. I’m still a little concerned…
Absolutely Amazing! What a series of photos. Thank you Ron!!
I’m glad you liked them, Steve. Thanks.
I remember you saying a while back that a nemesis of yours was trying to get good images of a Golden Eagle. Well, you have done it, Congratulations!! These are beautiful shots of probably the most powerful raptor we have in the US. Being up close and personal had to be and was for you most obviously exciting! All I can do is marvel at your experience!
I marvel at it myself, Dick.
Part of me wishes I could do it all over again in an effort to avoid messing up so many shots but in reality I should be ecstatic that I got what I did. And I am!
Please don’t apologize for wasting shots and don’t feel alone doing it. On a good day I’m lucky to get a couple of keepers. My forever problem is culling!
WOW, WOW. WOW – Stunning, Stunning, Stunning – INCREDIBLE!!! You know how I love eagles, Ron & I envy you actually seeing this happen!! I thank you a 1000 times for sharing your photos which give us a feeling of this intense experience!! I wonder if a mature eagle would have tried this? Maybe because he’s a youngster he doesn’t know what should or should not be attempted?!! Maybe he’s like Michael Jorden with amazing genes that allow him(or her) to do things that most other eagles couldn’t or wouldn’t attempt!! SO glad you were there to see it and capture it!!
“I wonder if a mature eagle would have tried this?”
Interesting question, Jo Ann. I have no doubt that an adult eagle would be capable of doing it but perhaps, with it’s greater experience, it wouldn’t have done it because such a feat is so energy-consuming.
They should have made golden eagle the national bird. Its a much more impressive bird than bald eagle. When they hunt they do some impressive dives that I’ve never seen baldies do. Not to mention baldies do much more scavenging and marauding.
I agree. Bald Eagles are thieves, steal food from each other and other birds, eat carrion(often their downfall when carcasse are on roads or train tracks). Goldens catch their own food and though not as showy are finer looking. I even like the way they sound better…
Picture is super sharp because your heart stopped and you forgot to breathe during the excitement thus no camera shake
There just may be some truth to that, Marina!
Amazing sequence Ron, that’s talent!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte. A little talent and a lot of luck.
Well this is certainly an inspiring series of shots for a Monday morning! I often look at your photos and am never sure which impresses me more – the photos you take or the beautiful creatures in those photos. Figured it was time to chime in on the comments again. Thanks!
Thanks for “chiming in” again, Kathleen!
WOW! That is amazing! Perhaps the young eagle was “practicing” or “playing”? Whatever the case these are probably once in a lifetime capture besides seeing it happen in real time! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Great job!
Yup, I’ll likely never see anything like this again, Judy. So I was very pleased to get just a few shots that I like. But the memories will always be there!
Ron: Both the bird and the photographer are amazing. Thank you.
Richard, agree about the former but the latter may still be in question. I sure messed up some potentially nice shots in this sequence! Thank you.
But it isn’t just the shots you don’t get, its the ones you DO get. So many couldn’t/wouldn’t have tried, and I have proven that I miss 100% of the shots I don’t take.
WOW!! One of your very best sequences ever…and that’s saying a lot. Way to go Ron!
Thanks very much, Jerry.
WOW!!!!! Phenomenal, Ron. May we all access our ‘inner eagles’ for our respective challenges from day to day…
Well said, Alison!
I hate to pick favorites, but this might be the best raptor post I’ve ever seen. The near vertical bullet flight of this big bird and then the outstretched legs and flared wings…this is tops Ron.
Thanks, Zaphir. I was pretty damned excited to have witnessed such a thing – to get the images was a huge bonus.