Six days ago I found two Bald Eagles feeding on presumed carrion fairly close to the road I was on in northern Utah. Both of them flew off before I even knew they were there but one of them, a near-adult, circled around and came back – twice. The first time ‘she’ flew past me slow and low to the ground, which allowed me to get 102 sharp photos of her without clipping or cutting off body parts.
With that many photos to choose from I promised myself that I would limit today’s post to no more than five of my favorite shots from the series. Limiting myself to only five would allow me to take the considerable time required to do a good job processing the images, including masking the bird before sharpening to prevent sharpening halos around a very dark bird against a light background.
Following are the photos I chose, in the order they were taken but with many, many skips.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
At first she wasn’t very close so she’s just a little small in the frame but I’m including this shot because I like the forward sweep of her wings and her curled primaries. Besides, with the bird small in the frame we get a better sense of habitat. She was so close to the ground I believe her wingtips actually scraped the taller sagebrush a few times.
1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Then she began a slow banking turn to her right, which tipped her body toward me and allowed a good look at most of her well-lit dorsal plumage. Her banking turn also eventually brought her considerably closer to me so…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
seventeen photos in the burst later she filled considerably more of the frame. As she circled around she encountered several low hills so she had to gain elevation to avoid them.
1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
40 shots later she’d gained so much elevation all we can see in the background is the snow-covered mountain behind her.
1/8000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Eventually she was high enough to completely blur out any detail in the mountain. I like this shot because her mostly white head is set off by her dark left wing instead of the snow in the background.
I was very pleased with the sharpness and detail in my photos of her so I couldn’t resist performing a huge crop (4% of the original image) on the previous photo to show it off. I also wanted a better look at her bloody beak, which isn’t completely yellow yet because she isn’t quite a full adult. Her head isn’t completely white for the same reason.
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
OK, so I can’t count.
This is photo #6 instead of the five I was going to limit myself to. But I wanted to see if the left side of her beak was as messy as the right. It wasn’t. This photo was taken after she circled around the second time and by then she was high enough to have only blue sky in the background.
One of the very few things I regret about having spring roll around is not having many Bald Eagles in Utah. Most of ours will migrate north very soon, if they haven’t started already. A few will stick around to nest here but not many.
And so it goes.
Ron
Note:
Most readers have probably already realized that this is the same eagle I posted a single photo of five days ago. On that post I said that I’d received a rude comment on that post that I hadn’t approved but that I was considering including her comment in a future post, which would have been this one. At the time I said I was still “mulling it over”.
At least two readers commented and suggested that I not post her snarky comment, which would only encourage her and others like her. I decided to take their advice.
Birders can be such azzholes
Beautiful and breathtaking photos, sir. Thank you for sharing.
Sensational serues Ron! thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Ron continued to take pics of these magnificent creatures Long history of our national symbol. Please educate & include the most important issue involving these beautiful creatures and that is protection. Whatever snarky responses or replies you receive from haters throw it in the toilet because that’s where belongs.. I am sure you are aware that there will always be haters in this world . And most likely they hate themselves . An example of this are those two men in Honduras who shot and killed a bald eagle and claimed that they were bringing it home to eat it thinking that it was a vulture!! this is abominable it is like a sea of ignorance and apathy for non-human creatures is palpable!!. This is an absolute disastrous and unfortunate criminal offense that a magnificent creature as abald eagles should be shot and killed. We need bald eagles to be put on the endangered species list and protect it with fines in upwards of a million dollars. I love these beautiful creatures I always have as I love all non-human creatures quite frankly I do prefer the company of animals as I am never surprised at what some people are capable of.
Wow just awesome well done love it when they let you be that close cant wait for your next photos love it.
Very nice photos!
Thanks, April.
So many beautiful poses or actions shots or whatever they’re called. Masking and sharpening eliminated any nitpicking I could see. Except for the clipped wings in the crop😀
Looks like WordPress needs a snark filter. And one that detects scams from people trying profit off you by linking to their own commercial sites.
“Except for the clipped wings in the crop”
C’mon, Lyle. I just barely clipped those wings.
Actually, I’m the one who provided the link to her site yesterday. I wanted folks to see what she was charging for her paintings at the same time as she was asking me for free use of my photos.
Edit: Oh, I see what you mean. Gone.
Welcome, Seraphina. I don’t recall ever knowing a Nanci Adams and I’ve never taken a birding class.
I can almost feel and hear the soft “whoosh” of her big wings as she sails by … these are all great images of a lovely young raptor. Really like that cropped shot, not so much for the blood but for the close-up look at her beautiful gray-ish colored eyes.
And glad you did not give the snarky commenter the attention she was seeking. 🤐
Thank you, Chris. I should have mentioned her eye color. Spaced it out.
The tight crop on her face is wonderful! You can see all that she has learned over the past 3-4 years, and her potential as a breeding bird just glows in those eyes! Those last little bits of brown in the white and her beak are heartbreakingly beautiful – almost (but not quite yet?) ready for the next big chapter. Lovely, lovely!
Much appreciated, Carolyn.
As I have mentioned before, I really like your sequence photo sets with narration. It’s like a mini nature documentary.
Favorite shot is #6. It’s a wonderful shot of the underside of the wing, and it evokes imagery of a ship under full sail.
Impressed with the sharpness of that crop.
Good call on the rude post.
I’m glad you like the series I post, Michael. They take a lot of work so it’s nice to know it can be worth it.
I can’t imagine how you choose which photos to publish. They are all stunning. I think my favorite is the first one. Background seems to call to me. Thanks for a great series. The commentary helps me learn to be a better “watcher “
“I can’t imagine how you choose which photos to publish.”
That’s part of the reason this post took so much time, Catherine.
Did you ever see the movie, “Never Cry Wolf”? Tyler, the young Canadian biologist, called himself a “watcher”.
Never saw that movie. But I love just watching. Sometimes think I missed my calling and should have been a field biologist….. Along with the watching it is I very much enjoy trying to figure out what is behind the behavior.
Beautiful series Ron😊
As I’ve mentioned “many” times before, Bald eagles are my very favorite. We’re luck enough to have them year around and we’re on hatch watch this week. I’ve always been curious but have never found the answer as to what is it that makes their beak turns yellow. Is it their diet?
There are enough idiots in the world, glad you didn’t give this one a voice.
” Is it their diet?”
I don’t know, Diana. Interesting question.
A wonderful series of shots! So very crisp and sharp. Thank you!
Thanks, Kathryn.
That is a really great series. It must have been quite an experience.
It sure was, Bruce.
Until today’s post, I didn’t even know that a bald eagle could be a “low rider”–
cruising low and slow– I can imagine that her primaries WOULD sweep the
sagebrush…..I thought that your “big crop” is a stunner–a real classic, with
the white head framed by the contrasting dark feathers. Any fool can throw off
a critical and snarky crack; very few can contribute beauty and meaning to our world. It takes focus and dedicated effort to do the latter. I’m glad you’re
willing to give what it takes– I love to see the results !
” I didn’t even know that a bald eagle could be a “low rider””
Kris, around here they often fly low the ground. Thank you.
Now I see why you love your Canon R5 –these photos are so dang sharp and capture the 3-dimensionality of the eagle. Thanks for sharing!
Yup, that’s part of the reason, Kent.
I’ve been following you for a few months now…wish I’d known about you sooner. The only thing I enjoy more than viewing your gorgeous images, is reading the commentary that accompanies them. I too photograph birds as a hobby, and try to nitpick your images. So far, I haven’t been able to. I look forward to seeing your link when I open my emails every morning.
Good to know you’re out there, Cary. I appreciate your kind comment but don’t look too hard for nits to pick or you’ll for sure find some. I certainly do.
What a beauty bloody beak and all! 🙂 Amazing what the R5 will capture in your hands……! Magnificent scavengers they are….. 🙂
Glad you decided against posting the snarky comment even tho, like others, “curiosity” gets in there…… 😉 REALLY no point of giving those folks a platform which only encourages them IMO curiosity be damned!
Judy, thanks for backing up my decision. I read that comment again this morning and just got pissed off again. Posting it here and then dealing with it all day wouldn’t have been good for my blood pressure. At this point, as far as I’m concerned it’s history.
Great shots, but now we’re all really curious about the snarky remark. Curiosity is the mother of invention, but it also gets us into a lot of trouble, so you’re probably well advised to let it go. You’re setting a good example. As usual.
“You’re setting a good example”
Yeah, but I needed encouragement to do it, Burrdoo. It wasn’t my instinctive intention… 🙂
Wow what a series. The sharpness and details are remarkable. Good camera and good photographer for sure. We waited in anticipation for the return of this gal and definitely were not disappointed.
We only have one pair that needs and reproduces here Ron. Currently at our Goldwater Lake we have had up to 12 2nd and 3rd year eagles along with one adult, but they will all be gone soon and our breeding pair over at Lynx Lake will be the only ones left..
Thanks, Everett. I remember back in the late 80’s when there were only 8 known pairs of nesting Bald Eagles in the entire state of Utah. We have more now but the vast majority only spend the winter here.
Wow! What I wouldn’t give for shots like that these days. More than anything else, besides the mountains and lack of snow, maybe, I miss the plethora of west coast baldies, some resident, some migratory. Great detail, esp of the beak, fabulous wing positions and sharp as can be. (And yes, we don’t need snark this early in the morning.) I know you aren’t fond of the blue sky backgrounds but I like the colour against those dark brown wings and white head and tail. Well done, Ron. Luck and skill and patience prevail.
” fabulous wing positions”
It was my intention to choose more photos with her wings in the down position but because she was so close to the ground for so long there weren’t many of them. Thank you, Granny Pat.
Wow, you are right to be pleased with the sharpness on that crop. She’s a stunner. And I like your P.S. decision. We have more than enough snark in this world.
“We have more than enough snark in this world.”
That’s for damn sure. Thanks, Cathy.
Oooh, she’s quite the looker! I’m glad those genes will be joining the pool. I hope that she finds an equally stunning mate and has many, many successful breeding seasons. ❤️
I’ll admit that I normally like the “tea” because I’m nosey like that, but she’s too elegant for snark (although I might email you later 😂).
Dang, Marty – you’re up early. Hope it isn’t insomnia again.
At this age she could mate this year, or wait another year. I hope she’s a fast starter.