It was a brutal morning on the island yesterday with 25 degree F temps, winds of over 4o mph, fresh snow and icy roads. It was eerie-sounding to drive on the roads as the night before the snow had partially melted and then froze hard into a bumpy, icy and noisy sheet. I knew there’d be no sneaking up on any birds because my pickup sounded like a freight train approaching on that crunchy ice.
The gulls were just about the only birds out and about. They seemed to enjoy soaring in the wind but when they’d settle into the water they chose areas partially protected from the wind, like this cove where the causeway meets the island.
The night before the wind had pasted snow onto the sides of the bison and then it froze to their hides. Some of them were mostly covered with ice. This image and the next one should give regular readers of my blog some idea of why I occasionally grumble about all the dried sunflowers we have this year. They make it virtually impossible to get a clear shot of any subject on the ground.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
We had just about resigned ourselves to being essentially “skunked” for the morning when we spotted this Golden Eagle not too far from the road. It was feeding on what I assume was a jack-rabbit (it was relatively large and there are lots of them in the area) but of course it was buried in the sunflowers and I couldn’t get a clear shot while it was feeding. The Black-billed Magpies were merciless in their harassment of the eagle in their attempts to get their fair share of the spoils. This one was brazen enough to hop directly over the back of this huge, fierce raptor.
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
As we watched the eagle feeding, the very strong wind was blowing in our faces (try holding a big lens steady in conditions like that!) so I knew that when it took off it would do so into the wind and away from us, which is exactly what happened. Just what I needed – more butt shots… But then the gods of bird photography smiled on us for a change and the eagle decided to come back around for one more look at the magpies swarming all over its breakfast and I was able to get two shots I liked as it went by. I clipped wings in most of those images though – their wings are huge!
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
You’ll notice that the bird has gobs of rabbit bits on its bill tip and in front of the eye, a bloody left foot and its crop is bulging. I think this eagle had had its fill for the time being.
Blue sky backgrounds aren’t my favorite for birds in flight but my portfolio is sadly deficient of Golden Eagle images so these two photos are definitely keepers for me.
Another interesting day on Antelope Island. What a place!
Ron
The last shot of the golden with wings up is a wonderful shot Ron, really made my day, way to go.
Thanks Jim. That image was my favorite also.
I kinda like the sunflowers. And I really like the amazing photos! Thanks for posting them!
Thanks Tana. I like the sunflowers in some ways too.
Wonderful images, Ron. I especially like that final photo. Amazing. I am putting Antelope Island on my bucket list. 🙂
I’m sure you’d love the island Bob.
Ron, I just back home after a day of Golden Eagle surveys in the West Dez. Snow was drifted in very unusual places after yesterday’s wild weather. Lots of Roughies and Ferruge, but the GEs were laying low. But now I can say I saw an eagle today after all. Maybe they all ate as well as your subject and were still sleeping it off. (what a crop! was that meal a rabbit or a small buffalo?)
Btw- took your “It’s only money” advice and ponied up for the 27″ iMac. Damn, your pics look good…
Mike, we’ll probably head out that way next week after some of the drifted snow is gone. Hope you enjoy your new iMac!
Ron: Your last line reminded me of a song I heard in the middle of the night during an emergency drive from Houston to Pensacola. I was trying hard to stay awake and had the radio on a country music station with the volume turned way up. The song that kept me awake for some time because I was laughing so hard was “If Heaven Ain’t A Lot Like Texas, I Don’t Want To Go There.” I wish I could send you and Mia a version in which the words had been changed to “If Heaven Ain’t A Lot Like Antelope Island, I Don’t Want To Go There.”
Dave
Hah! Yeah, that version could be our theme song Dave.
The Golden Eagle looks amazing. All of the raptors have an elegance, and some of them are huge. A while back we saw a Wedge-Tailed Eagle feasting on a road kill kangaroo. Naturally we didn’t have a camera but it is an image firmly burnt into my brain.
Awesome!
What a place indeed! Great capture of this Golden Ron, must a been a very neat morning.
Thanks Chuck. But I sure wish I had a shot from the island of a shrike in flight carrying a vole like SOMEONE I know…