It was a chilly morning with a stiff wind. Penny and I were headed down the closed-off road to the Wrightsville Reservoir rec area to check for waterfowl and get some exercise. Lugging my scope over my shoulder and binoculars and camera from my neck, I felt like a pack mule while the dog ran here and there. There’s no one around this time of year so it’s a great place for us – and only a mile from home.
My hands were freezing in the thin gloves — I realized that the hand warmers, guaranteed for 10 hours, were last year’s supply and had lost their pizzaz. I didn’t even get 10 minutes.
As I carefully approached the water, I set up in the woods and immediately saw a Great Blue Heron fishing on the far bank. The water was roiling and the wind was tough, so I headed down on the loop we often take, planning to keep it a short one.
I saw some movement — a large bird flying — and thought that the heron had flushed. Then, in my binoculars, I saw that it was a Bald Eagle, being harassed by crows. I fumbled for the camera, turned it on, set the dial for action shots, and with frosty fingers, took a few shots.
The trio circled above us, whipped by the winds and disappearing now and then over the tree line. I fired away but in situations like this, I find out that I am a birder who carries a camera, not a photographer who happens to bird. Here are a couple of highly cropped shots:
It was only a show of several minutes but exciting — Bald Eagles are scarce enough in the area (I saw one other last February) that they are a treat for a birder.
We struck out on waterfowl and the wind had driven all the sparrows and friends deep into cover so we cut it short, but I for one didn’t feel cheated. As an aviator, to see the eagle gracefully soaring on flat wings ignoring the dive-bombing of the crows was fun and worth a few white fingers.
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What a treat! Thanks for the photos, your getting good at this….
Love this, good for you for braving the cold. This was obviously your reward.
Ah, the majesty of an eagle, not to be be disturbed by the hassling of mere crows!
I see so many eagles around the Upper Connecticut River, either sitting high in pine trees or just swooping down towards the river, I assume they are looking for fish like me…..great pics, they move fast so I never can get a good pic.