Not quite a yard bird, but close.
Yesterday morning I got a call from one of my neighbors up the street telling me about a Bald Eagle perched in a tree behind her back yard (thanks, Sabre). I hadn’t expected to be able to photograph an eagle in my neighborhood again because I had to have my own “eagle tree” removed a couple of years ago so I jumped at the chance, slim as it was.
I knew that getting a shooting angle on any tree behind Sabre’s house was likely to be difficult at best but as I always say “you never know unless you go”.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
By driving around some winding streets I was unfamiliar with I was able to get a few clear shots of the eagle in moderately good light before bright white clouds moved into the background and ruined it. The setting is incredibly busy but that’s what I expected.
The eagle was surprisingly tame. I had no choice but to be so close I had to shoot vertically with my teleconverter attached and there was a very noisy crew from Utopia Fiber Optic installing an internet connection to a house right in front of me but the eagle gave them no nevermind. A jogger came by and noticed my huge lens sticking out my window so he located the eagle and took a few cell phone shots of his own. He offered to “trade cameras” but I declined.
When bright white clouds moved into the background I decided to document the scene using my own cell phone but that’s exactly when…
Cell phone photo
the eagle decided to take off. Here it can be seen in flight near the middle of the frame.
That darn bird flew right over the top of my pickup, so close I could hear its wings whooshing and making me think I could almost reach up and pluck it out of the air with my left hand. I didn’t make the attempt because I didn’t want to lose any fingers.
So none of the photos I got were much more than documentary shots but I’m glad to have them for two reasons. An eagle in my suburban neighborhood is always a treat and a memorable occasion and…
I was able to get my first ever cell phone flight shot.
Ron
Note: I actually have many photos of the eagle that are sharper than the first one above but by then the bright white clouds had moved into the background so I still prefer this one.
Great picture even with busy bushes.
Nice! You have good neighbors!
Very late to this 🦅 party but want to say I think that first shot is really quite beautiful, partly because of the busy but very interesting background. But that bird just stuns! Lucky you to have a great neighbor — and I hope there are more visits in your future.
Chris, I thought it was pretty neat that Sabre called me with the tip.
She lives far enough up the street that we don’t know each other particularly well but I’m pretty sure I remember her walking by once when I was photographing an eagle in my own tree from the street in front of my house and she remembered and called me. I’m very grateful.
I guess my bird addiction is fairly well known.
Your photos — I love ’em. Got a good chuckle out of the cell phone photo. And your stories make your blog shine.
I chuckle at that cell phone shot too, Nina – in part because I’m so tickled to have taken a mediocre (at best) flight shot of an eagle with a cell phone.
For what it’s worth – I love the busy background! I think it’s a great shot! Beautiful!
Good. Thanks, Joanne.
How wonderful when they come to visit! Chris sent you an eagle for your kindness to his family.
We had a juvenile a week ago across the street in the DNR biologists front yard. She has one of the few big trees left in our area. Between people removing big trees from their yard, the city removing mature old trees and finally our recent hurricane east winds there are not many big trees left on my block.
From my experience I think you do have a lot of “good folks” in your blog following. Makes me feel there is hope for humankind.
April, I saw what you said the City Manager’s response was when you asked him/her why they were being removed. That was a less than honest answer if you ask me.
Yup, good folks abound in Feathered Photography Land.
Thanks for today’s post (in fact, for all your posts)! Your first shot shown is, indeed, a nice composition. Thanks for sharing! No apologies needed. We just enjoy seeing your work.
Thanks very much, Richard.
I’m always impressed with the colors you reveal on Bald Eagle feathers. It’s easy to assume they’re white and black, especially here in western Washington where it’s most often gray days when the Eagles are most numerous. Your photos certainly show they are much more than that. Phone photo excepted, although I’m impressed with the quick response from the big lens to the phone. It can be frustrating to lineup the off-center lens of the phone to the object, in my case.
Lyle, truth be told I don’t deserve much credit for a quick response. I had decided to take the phone shot so I put down my big lens and grabbed my phone. Just as I was looking where to aim my phone I noticed the eagle pooping. I though oh shit, it’s going to take off so I just held the phone up and tried to get the shot before the bird launched.
I was about a half second late so I got the flight shot. Didn’t even do it on purpose – a perched shot was my actual intention.
Beautiful photo! Interesting that the tree the bird is perched in has the exact same “winter buds” as the one in my neighbor’s yard, where I see most of my eagles, right fro my windows (I am on the last portion of the Rappahannock, a very large river, so they are here a lot) – the buds can make focusing VERY challenging!
Roberta, that may have been part of the problem I had with sharpness in some of my shots. There were at least two twigs with buds within an inch or so of the head of the eagle.
I am wondering if that problem will be solved with the bird eye focusing mechanism in your possible new camera?
“Possible” is the key word there, Art. Don’t think I’ll be buying any photo gear until and unless things settle down a little in our world.
Ron, first let me say your post the other day regarding the purchase of your photo was very moving and brought back emotions from my 40 years of teaching and coaching. A great photo and two great stories within the post.
Your eagle picture today was really beautiful and how nice to have that opportunity so close to home. I really like the background in the shot and often position myself to get similar backgrounds in my own bird pictures.
Thanks for all the great photos you share with us everyday.
Thanks, Reid. I agree, that was a special post in a lot of ways.
Thank you for a good-news and good-neighbors post today, Ron. 🙂 I still can’t imagine what it would be like to see a Bald Eagle hanging out in my Liquid Amber. I get lots of squirrels, corvids, and Mourning Doves (the real thing), but I’ve never even seen our resident Red Tail hanging out in what is one of the tallest trees in the neighborhood. (I did see some very pretty, tiny, grey and yellow birds feasting on the seeds the other day, but didn’t want to disturb them, so I only glanced as I walked by and have no idea what they were.)
Thanks, Marty. Sounds like you need a walk around camera… 🙂
I’d be happy with a cell phone that takes decent pictures. Mine’s so old I can’t even download apps anymore because my hardware won’t run the newer OS. I guess I’m just an old curmudgeon. 😂
And you heard the whoosh whoosh. Love it!
I’m really liking the first photo even with the busy background.
To look so majestic in a neighborhood backyard …
Thank you, Jamila.
I would be savoring that whoosh all day, especially if I felt the breeze on my skin.
I didn’t feel the breeze but I savored it anyway.
I live in a suburban neighborhood also. This summer a Red-tail landed right in the middle of my back yard which may not seem *too* unusual if not for the fact my back yard has a 6′ wood privacy fence around the border.
I ran for my camera and managed to capture him just as he cleared the top of the fence line. An utterly unusable capture by any standard. He’s never returned.
It happens.
Do you think this might be the same bird from the Eagle Tree?
Shane, there were several eagles that came to the eagle tree over the years. One of them was banded. I tried to see if this one had a band but it never gave me the opportunity.
All of them were full adults like this one so it’s possible and it wouldn’t surprise me.
Thank you neighbor Sabre ! What a treat to have gotten that call. Maybe your guy stopping by to say Hi ?! I also was lucky enough to have a juvenile fly right over my head. A day I’ll never forget 😍
An eagle post…. a perfect way to start my day !
Diana, I’ve been wondering if it was one of the eagles that used to roost in my elm tree. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it was.
Magnificent , proud bird ! I’m interested also in the foliage surrounding him–
seems already to be in a heavy budding stage—nothing is
budding up that strongly down south yet–do you or any of your posse know
what it is ?
Sorry Kris, I don’t know. It’ll have to come from my posse I guess.
Yes, it’s been so warm (and dry) here we noticed a day or two ago that some of the trees are already beginning to bud. We’re in a world of hurt when it comes to moisture.
NEAT! VBG! Beautiful photo of the eagle that “just happened” to show up in your neighborhood……😍 Wonderful that someone volunteered and had the means to do the prints even if already done…… Me and anything with an LCD and photos don’t do well. GREAT day for you………😀
Thanks, Judy. I’m a klutz when it comes to cell phone photos so this was a fun one to get.
Beautiful!
And today is National save the bald eagle day!🦅
And then there’s this on CNN this morning:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/florida-firefighters-help-save-bald-eagle-trnd/index.html
Saw that this morning – there are folks who DO care and glad it’s moving on down the line…..😀
I was heartened that two kids were involved.
Maybe a little serendipity or Murphy just decided to provide you with some neighborhood fun. Very nice photo of a very relaxed looking young eagle and a good story.
Would love to have an eagle visit our neighborhood. We have had every available raptor visit, but never an eagle.
Friday morning we did the annual eagle count. I did our Willow Lake and we only had one there, but Goldwater Lake had 5 and I think a couple of the other lakes had 1 or 2, but that’s about it for us. Can’t even imagine the eagle count in various areas of Alaska.
Thanks, Everett. This time of year we usually have good numbers of Bald Eagles in northern Utah but finding one in my neighborhood is pretty darn special.
I drove down to Alma Wisconsin on New Years Day. (About an hour South of me) Easily 100 birds at Lock and Dam #4. My personal preference is Juveniles as their plumage is all so unique.
When there’s a dozen birds in the air you need three sets of eyes. 🙂
So after your posts of the past few days, a bald eagle just happens to visit your neighborhood, pose for a few beautiful shots, and then gift you your first ever cell phone flight shot – coincidence? I think not.
Good morning Ken and Chris.
Ha, makes one wonder doesn’t it… I guess the effects of karma can be either good or bad.
Note to readers: There’s been another positive outcome related to Mark’s print request and the foundation his family established for suicide prevention education.
Yesterday morning I received an offer from a blog follower (I won’t name him because I don’t have permission} to print Mark’s photos for him for free. That reader has his own “Epson printers and a variety of papers”. By then the prints had already been made but still, quite a generous offer.
As I told Mark yesterday “My readers are a good bunch of folks”.