Bald Eagle

One of the exciting aspects of birdwatching is that you never know what you are going to see when you set out with your binoculars and/or camera. I went out to Pkols (Mount Douglas) yesterday hoping to see a hawk or two. They like to cruise the thermals rising from the mountainside. Turkey Buzzards are usually circling also. And often, there are a few Bald Eagles. I saw one of these swooping by quite low but then he disappeared to the other side of the summit. Later I wandered over to that side of the mountain and there he was, peacefully perched overlooking the Saanich Peninsula. He sat quietly for nearly a half an hour as I crept closer.

Distraction!

Whenever I get out into the rural setting in the spring I tend to get focused on what's on the ground, those brilliant spring wildflowers such as I posted yesterday. I am also a little impatient of distractions so that earlier this week when I was zeroing in on the Shooting Stars a very loud sort of rusty squeaking kept breaking in on my concentration. Finally I looked up to see what could be making such a noise and there it was, in a nearby tree, a glorious Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). (Roger Tory Peterson in "A Field Guide to Western Birds" describes their call as "...a harsh, creaking cackle....") When I suddenly see something like this there is always a period of frantic activity (remove close-up lens, replace with telephoto lens, adjust ISO and aperture, lengthen tripod legs, etc.). At the same time it all has to be done calmly and quietly so as not to disturb the subject or destroy the equipment. With this eagle I barely got set up when he took off from the branch where he was sitting. But at least he left me this one clear shot to take home. There were actually three Bald Eagles cruising around above the summit of Mount Douglas that day, two of them apparently jousting for the attentions of the third.

Early Morning Eagle

This is the Saxe Point resident Bald Eagle once again, here seen just as the rising sun struck him a few mornings ago. Photographing birds is a new endeavor for me so I hope regular visitors will bear with me while I explore and learn (and repeatedly photograph this eagle and a few other dependable subjects....)

Fierce Love

Many people are watching this pair of Bald Eagles and hoping that this year their mating will result in some chicks, unlike a past year when the nest (visible on the left) remained empty. Bald Eagles are thought to mate for life but will choose a new partner should one die or the union fail to produce offspring. They generally live for about 20 years.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

This is a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), the national bird and symbol for the United States of America. This one is perched near a nest that has been used by Bald Eagles for some years. This nest is in Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt. I apologize for the poor quality photo but I wanted to introduce this bird here since I have seen him several times now but have failed previously to capture any usable pictures. I'll be checking on him and his mate (she's not visible in the nest to the left) over the next few months and will be trying to get some images more worthy of this splendid bird. (This is all done with a 300 millimeter telephoto lens. The nest is at the top of a very tall tree and I will try to be as inconspicuous as possible on the ground so as not to disturb the brooding/hatching/rearing processes.)