The rest of the story. As promised.
Three days ago I photographed a Golden Eagle on Antelope Island. They used to be fairly regular visitors to the island in winter but it’s been so long I don’t even remember the last time I saw one there. The next day I posted a single photo of the bird and promised readers I’d post more soon. Today fulfills that promise.
- Image techs for this series: 1/4000 – 1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 320, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender
The eagle was high on a ridge and quite a distance from me, far enough that if ‘she’ hadn’t been a Golden Eagle I probably wouldn’t have stopped for her. She was partially hidden by vegetation so my only hope for even marginal image quality was for her to take off in my direction.
She complied. This is the photo I posted two days ago. I’m including it again because it’s an essential part of the series. And because I like it.
Golden Eagles are huge, heavy birds so it took her a while to come off the ridge.
Her powerful legs and lethal talons were often on full display as she labored to gain elevation.
This flight posture is similar to the second photo in the series. Only her position relative to the ground has changed, slightly.
After she cleared the ridge I only had a sky background but at least there were a few thin, wispy clouds back there.
I got many photos of her during takeoff and in flight but I only included a few of them here. If you’re curious about how many shots in the series I skipped, that can be determined by reading the image file numbers by passing your cursor over the image (if you’re not on a mobile device).
Yes, I wish I’d been closer. Because of the distance involved and the significant cropping I did the image quality of these photos falls short of what I hope are my usual standards.
But hey, it’s a Golden Eagle.
Ron
On a completely unrelated note:
I often make reference to the fact that I grew up on a farm 17 miles northwest of Cut Bank, Montana, not far from Glacier National Park, the vast Bob Marshall Wilderness Area and some of the most beautiful and unspoiled country in the USA. Readers sometimes ask why I left MT to live along Utah’s crowded Wasatch Front with its filthy winter air and right wing, religion-controlled politics.
This is why.
And yesterday I saw that the wind chill in Cut Bank had been 52° below zero. That’s’ more than enough reason for me.
Late addendum: Here’s a recent report from West Glacier, west of Cut Bank.
Rapidly scrolling down the screen: flip-book flying. Pretty cool. I’ve seen a Golden Eagle once, but not like you captured this one.
18º this morning (pretty cold for western WA), 6º windchill, and the Anna’s Hummingbirds are still chasing each other around the feeder. Yes, science supposedly explains it, but I still can’t believe they’re not hummingcicles.
Lylie, hummers in those temps seems like a major disconnect to me. I can’t’ imagine it.
Gorgeous bird 😁 I’ve heard we have a pair around here. Probably saw it thinking it was a juvenile Bald eagle 🤔❗️
Oh no… that temperature does not work for me. Ever❗️
“Probably saw it thinking it was a juvenile Bald eagle”
An easy mistake to make, Diana.
Dang, I’ve missed a lot in just 3 short days, so it’s taken me quite awhile to catch up, including going back thru all those “RTHA battle” posts/comments from November—still the most amazing series! And thank you for posting that last pic of their heads/faces in a moment of “what?!?”—young hawks are sooo expressive!
This Golden is gorgeous, of course, and every photo speaks to her power and grace. Lucky for us that you caught her at take-off, even at a distance. 😍
Welcome back, Chris. Glad you enjoyed going down recent memory lane.
And now I see you’ve added Glacier’s temp w/ wind chill — unreal! l remember -50 in Laramie the day (in 1990) I left for LA to spend Christmas with my family — where it was 50. I lasted 2 more years in WY before it finally did me in. Still have my Gortex/down Marmot jacket, but can’t recall the last time I used it, even in the mountains ….
That would have been an incredible sight. Those legs and talons draw my eyes. Power birdified.
I like cold weather and much prefer it to hot but temperatures like that would give me pause too.
“birdified”
Ha, that’s yet another EC’ism I’m now planning on stealing shamelessly.
Go for it. My parents would have been appalled (English language was an area they were skilled pickers of nits) but it seemed to fit.
Sensational series Ron, thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thank you, Charlotte.
Very nice series, yes it would have been lovely to be closer! I love those big feet, they are amazing. Eagles are a heavy bird, 10 pounds. I have not had one on glove but Haley has and her arm gets exhausted fast.
I saw how cold Montana has been. We still have not made it to Glacier National Park, it seems something is always getting in the way.
April, GNP is nothing short of spectacular. The problem these days is overuse and heavy traffic. Not quite as bad as Yellowstone though.
The year we had planned on going was a birthday for the park or near by parks of some sort and crowds were turned away. We had planned the summer of 2020, well you know that story.
Let me know before you go. I’ll give you some tips.
Goldens and balds couldn’t be more different, and I’ll choose a golden every day of the week! That said, there’s nowhere near enough left of me! HARRUMPH!
I agree. Those are definitely girl feet! But as a girl, she’s probably heavier than 10 pounds. I know I certainly wouldn’t want to meet her when she’s hungry. I am edible!
But what a BEAUTY! I’m a fool for those golden napes, not to mention those lovely FEET 😉
I GET why you moved south, but perhaps not quite far enough? Of course, the summer heat here is nothing to sneeze at and can make most months of the year reasonably intolerable. I might be moving up to Utah soon, or Texas, whatever. Of course that assumes I can recover from the move HERE! I’m old now 😉
“I’m old now”
Me too, Laura. Makes me think of what my Dad used to say, often – “It beats the hell out of the alternative”.
Beautiful pictures. I visited the Eccles Wildlife Center Saturday and love the new interior display. I could be a little prejudice however due to my relationship with the staff member. I’ll deny that to the end. It is a very enlightening place to visit.
As for the weather comments I am way too old to endure those type of cold blasts. I grew up in Idaho and we used to have very cold and snowy weather there as well. When my son was born in Montpelier and when I brought him home from the hospital it was so cold the heating oil we used turned to gel and would not flow. The only way to keep him warm was to light the propane oven and lay him on the open door. Horrible time. He is now much more resilient with winter weather than I am .
“I am way too old to endure those type of cold blasts”
That’s definitely part of my problem with them, Betty.
You have reason to be proud of Sheri and her work at the Wildlife Center. That new display is pretty wonderful isn’t it.
It is always breath-taking to see a bird of that size ‘lift-off’. You captured it well. They do tend to look vulnerable though with those legs dangling as you show but once airborne they seem unstoppable. We have been having our coldest temps of the season for the past week and they are to continue though next week…-20 to -30 wind chills and 0 to – temps. Just don’t like that anymore and I grew up in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan! I believe the record snowfall one year was 390 inches with yearly averages in the 250 to 300 inch range. Didn’t really think about it at that time as we walked to school and played out it in. I don’t think we had the cold but then I don’t remember windchills (1950’s) being talked about…we simple wore triple mittens! Funny how our perspective of things change.
I know what you mean, Kathy – you ‘kind of’ get used to when you live in those conditions. We used to go out sledding and ice skating when it was below zero, sometimes at night, and I even remember slightly frostbitten toes as a result. But I went out and did it again. And again.
That either speaks to my toughness or my stupidity. I’m not taking bets on which one it was.
Golden Eagles surely are magnificent, aren’t they! I definitely would not want to be on the receiving end of those talons nor that beak. Looks like she’s had a busy and possibly difficult morning, as her tail feathers and primaries look kind of scruffy.
I thought the days we had at below zero without wind my first winter in central IL were pretty damn cold. I can’t imagine what the -40s or -50s must feel like. I remember asking my neighbors to turn up the thermostat more than once that winter, as we all lived in an old house-turned-apartments and I was over the basement. Walking to campus in that cold was quite the howdoyoudo for this SoCal girl (especially after we’d had a tornado go through part of town in the fall).
Thank you, Marty.
It’s always a challenge to be at the mercy of someone else’s thermostat isn’t it. I was in that situation in a couple of the places I lived years ago and it isn’t any fun.
Spectacular group of pictures this morning!
And I have to agree with you, -52 degrees is a bit too chilly, I am even reluctant to move a tad more north in New England, though it’s much less crowded and more beautiful because I don’t want a longer winter with more snow. But 52° below zero does it take the cake!
Joanne, “too chilly” is an understatement. For me, at least at my age now, that kind of weather isn’t even close to tolerable.
You started my day out with beauty and I thank you.
Take Care,
Kaye
Good! Thanks, Kaye.
Awesome series of images. Such an amazing powerful bird. Love ’em.
On your related note…. brrrrrrr… I once lived in Alamosa Colorado and got up one morning to go to my teaching job, turned on the radio and the news show said “Be careful out there this morning. It is currently -52F with no wind”. I’m really glad I don’t live there anymore.
Interesting, Keith. The coldest I ever experienced out on the farm was -53 with no wind. But I was so young I barely remember it – mostly I remember the stories from my parents.
Excellent series Ron and really good photos considering the distance. Murphy was with you ensuring that she flew right toward you.
As mentioned before, I have never seen a Golden Eagle. I have always assumed that they are much larger than Bald Eagles, but Sibley’s stats don’t confirm that. Golden length 30″, wingspan 79″, and weight 10 lbs. vs Bald Eagle at 31, 80, and 9.5. So they show the Bald larger in length and wingspan and only a half pound lighter. That surprises me.
Good moving for you though getting away from minus 40 degrees.
Everett, one way the two species are very different is in their various behaviors. They couldn’t be more different in many of them.
Beautiful Golden.💕 The power of those legs and talons REALLY show in the 2nd shot. 😲 Nothing I want to see coming at me! 😉
Yep – I “whine” here but they have it worse – usually the case. Great Falls has a -41 wind chill this morning – actual is -26. Frickin cold no matter how you cut it….😖
Judy, I sooooo remember those awful temps, snow and wind out on the farm. And how vulnerable it makes you feel to be snowed in and unable to get to town, even for an emergency, for many days in a row.
I also notice those powerful legs and toes look completely limp during take-off, and I’m guessing it means selective muscular energy! She needs all her energy in those wings, torso, neck and head to get that heavy body in the air.
“She needs all her energy in those wings”
She does indeed, Terry. 10 lbs is a lot of weight to get airborne.