I don’t get many decent chances at Golden Eagles.
These may not be among my best bird photos but if necessary I’m always willing to cut Golden Eagles just a little slack and besides, there’s something in the last shot I’d like my viewers to see and appreciate.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this one about 3 months ago in a remote area of Utah. It was perched on a large, rocky hill as I approached in my pickup and as is obvious from its posture it was wary of me from the start – not a surprise from Goldens. It took off soon after this photo was taken and of course it launched away from me and disappeared over the top of the hill.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
It landed far away on the side of a small mountain but eventually it took off in my general direction and came slightly closer. As you can imagine I had a very difficult time keeping focus locked on the bird because it was so close to the background. As a result many of the shots in this series were too soft.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
But I did get some sharper ones as the eagle flew past me. I’m usually not a huge fan of flight shots of birds with plain sky as background but…. holy moly, just look at that wingspan! And the breadth of the wings is just as impressive. Given their 6-7.5 foot wingspan I wish there was some way for me to figure out the actual surface area of the wings of this bird. I’ll bet it would be an eye-opener.
It’s no wonder they soar so spectacularly well. I have to wonder if early glider airplane designers and engineers used birds such as Golden Eagles as models for design inspiration. My money says they probably did.
Ron
David and Betty Sparks refer to them as “Slow Flappers”.
Dave knows his stuff – birds, image sharpening techniques, sailing or vision research, he’s always spot on.
Late to the party today. Actually, looked at your post earlier this morning, but wanted to give it time to sink in. I will take all the Golden shots you want to share — good, bad, or ugly! The second shot is my favorite of this series — the bird diagonal in the frame, the look off to the right (which makes me wonder what was just out of frame over there!), the golden nape, the “Bernoulli” wings, and that slight twist of the right foot exposing those talons to the camera. STUNNING!
The first shot is fun. He definitely has your number! 😉 In the third shot, I noticed a small gap in the secondaries, bilaterally. Not being sure of eagle wing anatomy, is he missing a couple of feathers, or am I less observant than I thought and this is how their wings always are?
Marty, most likely it’s molting. When birds molt they tend to lose feathers bilaterally – the same one on both sides at approximately the same time. That makes flight during molt easier for them.
Thanks very much. I get the impression you were quite pleased with these photos.
Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my.
I am late for the usual reason but oh, that final shot lifts my heart. Awe and wonder.
Megathanks.
Thank you, EC.
Soft or not these are very beautiful photos and envy your talent in catching them. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Betty. Actually these 3 shots are pretty sharp. It’s the ones I didn’t post that were soft.
It is hard to find appropriate words to say about the Golden Eagle you photographed. It is such a magnificent wild and free bird.
You can almost see the power in those wings.
Thank you, Ron for great photos.
I agree, Alice. Golden’s are difficult to describe well in their magnificence. Thanks.
Gorgeous bird! I really like that last shot for the feather detail – as well as the wing-span.
Thank you, Susan.
If you hold only one eagle feather in your hand and stroke down with it, the air resistance is so powerful you can only imagine the lift that a whole wingful of them has…..no wonder they fly near the sun!!!
I agree, Patty. I’ve done that with a Bald Eagle primary.
As another wildlife photographer, Chris Letts,once said of their wingspan, “Picture two ironing boards…..” Pretty accurate!!!
Love that comparison.
I love the slow, deliberate, powerful wing strokes as they fly…Lakota people call them “Wing Flappers” as well as “Wambli”, “Wambli Gleska” (Spotted Eagle) and “Wambli Ohitika” (Brave Eagle)…I call them “Magical”….
Yup, magical works for me too, Patty.
Wow indeed!
🙂
No words…just WOW!!!
🙂
Eagles are such magnificent birds.
Yup.
Just so beautiful. Again this is why raptors are my favorite😍
A photographer friend came across a nest with babies. So exciting ❗️
Raptors are pretty much at the top of my list too, Diana.
Full crop on a beautiful Bird – thank you for sharing Ron 🙂
Thanks, Zaph.
What spectacular captures of this majestic Golden , Ron!! I bet your heart was pumping a mile a minute as you took your shots – WOW!!! As for human flight, I read David McCullough’s “The Wright Brothers” and they use to sit on the beaches of the Outer Banks of North Carolina watchin the Bald Eagles & Vultures to help them design their 1st plane!!! A beautiful, uncluttered view for them before that whole area was built up!! Too bad you weren’t there with your camera, RON!!!
Yup, I was pretty darned excited, Jo Ann. I had buck fever for sure!
WoW…. thanks for sharing.
You bet.
Beautiful Ron. That wingspan is remarkable. Great job of keeping focused as the flew back toward you. Would love to see a Golden some day. Thanks for sharing these.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
I got this one pretty sharp but most of them weren’t, which disappointed me greatly. Thanks, Everett.
You can tell this animal is doing well, their crop is full! (Most noticeable as the bulge in the throat in the last shot). There’s only the single record of a Golden eagle where I am, but Bald eagles are fully resident, so come winter they should congregate around easy sources of food, so I should be able to have a few opportunities with them. If this is any help, you are definitely closer to getting your desired Golden eagle in-flight shot than you give yourself credit for Ron! I’d be happy to come out getting those shots, simply because of how rare they are in the east…
You’re right about that bulging crop, Xavier. Plenty of jackrabbits out there. Good luck with your Balds and thank you.
I’ll take them! 🙂 It is tough getting the focus when other “stuff” is calling for the cameras attention 😉 I sometimes forget how huge they are until I see them on road kill……….. We have a prairie dog town up the hill to the west and is fun to watch both the golden’s and balds “cruising” the area in hopes of a capture. That’s a background that is NOT amusing to try and capture them against.
Judy, I once witnessed a Golden (that I didn’t see at first) fly up from road kill in front of a car right in front of me. The first thing I saw was a very dark shape through the other guy’s windshield that completely obscured my view through his glass. For a split second I didn’t know what was happening and then I saw the eagle, facing me with its wings widespread, rising up in front of the car. I swear it seemed at least as big as the car! I’ll never forget it.
Very Impressive! The wingspan is breathtaking. Also for me here is something about the face of an eagle that is so imposing, maybe almost an air of arrogance but then why not, what can compare? This is a bird I have never seen…they are a rare occurrence here. We have an abundance of Bald Eagles here along the Fox River; I’ve sat and watched them fish for hours. There is nothing that compares to their scream or dive to pick up a fish and fly off with it! And a chance glance as they fly off…be still my heart!
Kathy, around here we’re lucky to have both eagle species. Both are very impressive birds but for me nothing approaches the exhilaration I feel when I’m close to a Golden in a natural setting. I think they’re the epitome of wildness. Thank you.
Agree!!!😍