A golden oldie, in more ways than one.
Usually when I post “older photos” they’re new to Feathered Photography. Today’s photo is an exception. It was taken almost four years ago and I posted it back then but looking back I’m not happy with the way I processed it. So I’ve reprocessed it (different selective exposures, different aspect ratio and different sharpening technique) and I’m publishing it again as a “golden oldie” of sorts.
I’ll admit that the timing of this ‘rerun’ has everything to do with the fact that this is opening weekend for Utah’s waterfowl hunt so I’ve been hunkering down at home for a few days and not getting any new photos. The last thing I want to do is be in the marshes with hordes of excited hunters, airboats, barking hunting dogs and all their associated hubbub. I’m too old and stove up to be dodging shotgun pellets.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 400, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 321mm, not baited, set up or called in
I found this presumed female (she was huge) Golden Eagle in a tree at Bear River MBR and for a while she was unusually relaxed – especially for a Golden. But when another photographer showed up in his bright blue Subaru Impreza and then got out of his car! to photograph her, she sure as hell wasn’t going to put up with that so she took off.
I love her unusual sideways takeoff posture. I strongly believe she launched at this angle so she could avoid hitting that largest vertical branch with her right wing. The result was a dynamic takeoff that featured her huge, stout feet and talons, golden mane and intense stare. Thankfully she had pretty good light on her and she’s sharp.
I’m glad I reprocessed the photo. Hopefully, long time blog followers don’t mind seeing it again.
Ron
Fierce! Can’t stop looking at her left wing pose – SO dramatic.
Glad you like it, Kathleen. Thanks.
Ron — I grew up hearing the phrase “stove up” and it usually meant that there was an imminent change in the weather. I’ve been following your blog for about 10 years now and I don’t remember seeing this photo before, but even if I did, that would still be OK with me. You could post a Golden Eagle shot once a week and I would be delighted, even if some of them are “repeats”. Sorry that fella scared off your subject — I also shoot using my vehicle as a mobile blind and I would be peeved (that is the “nice” language my mother taught me) at his behavior. Regardless — this is a spectacular take-off shot!! Kudos 🙂
Thank you, Karen. That’s pretty much the way I feel about Golden Eagles – can’t get too much of them.
I am soooo familiar with stove up (though it was stove in here). And often feel it.
LOVE this powerhouse take off.
Thanks, EC. I wish you were less familiar with it.
What a beautiful bird she is. When you see excellent close up photos of large birds like yours here taking off they look so ungainly, clumsy, gawky, awkward, and other synonyms that I can’t quickly come up with. But once they are in the air they are beautiful to behold. Thanks for posting this revised edition.
PS – I remember you mentioning before the difference to a bird as to whether you are in your car or truck or on foot. I am most always on foot and am always looking far ahead for birds and then planning my approach. I have stopped though sometimes and taken photos of birds and wildlife from the car and almost always they not concerned unless you get out.
Everett, the difference between approaching a bird in a vehicle and on foot is amazing. There are exceptions of course but overall it’s a very strong tendency of birds to be less fearful of vehicles than people on foot.
And the worse thing of all is to have a person in a vehicle open the door and get out. Suddenly, that scary human thing that they weren’t really aware of, is close!
That’s a really exciting shot. My memory’s not good enough to tell if I have seen it before or not, but that’s ok because it is still “dynamic” – yes a very good word for it. Hunting season is indeed scary. As a child, and yes, in rural Ontario, in Canada, 60+ years ago, we even saw idiots drive by our house, stop 300m up the road, in full view of our house, and get out to shoot at anything moving up on the hill, in my father’s (fenced) fields. *sigh* 🙄 Please stay safe.
Granny Pat, road-shooting is one of the many things that separate slob hunters from ethical hunters.
WOW! Manificent bird and capture of all that power and beauty! 🙂 Some folks are just clueless when it comes to those things.. 🙁
VERY familiar with “stove up” 😉 A term still in use here…….
If bird hunting didn’t start this weekend it’s “close”. We don’t attract bird hunters for the most part – fine with me 😉 Pheasant population isn’t that great this year anyway tho I did get a rush when flushing a rooster last week!
Flushing a rooster will do that to you, won’t it Judy. Thanks.
That’s a stunning photograph! A good look at ‘those stout feet and talons’ is humbling. Glad she does not have me in her sights. Thanks for posting!
Thank you, Kathryn.
From your description of “opening weekend”, it sounds like tucking in at home and going thru your photo collection is a very sane thing to do. Hopefully the birds have a similar haven to retreat to – “Hey, guys, we need to get away from all this commotion, let’s all go to Ron’s house!”
And hopefully that photographer in the bright blue Subaru was a newbie and learned a lesson about respect, etiquette and bird behavior.
The eagle is magnificent!
Carolyn, there are “waterfowl rest areas” on the refuge where birds can get away from hunters. Takes them a while to figure it out though.
Holy cow is she a stunner!!! Wow!!! Thank you for reprocessing and reposting her! No worries about rerunning this beauty! Wouldn’t mind seeing her again tomorrow. 😉 Oh, to be able to spend even 5 minutes in her company! ❤️❤️❤️
(I’d like to smack that impreza-boy with a clue-by-4 for getting out of his car, but you did get a helluva shot.)
Thanks, Marty. Glad you like her.
And I’d never heard “clue-by-4” before. Like it, plan on stealing it.
Help yourself — I’m sure I stole it from someone too. 😂
She is soooo powerful, here, and so confident. I could almost feel it. But I’m not an air-being, so no, I didn’t really! But she’s wonderful. I volunteered at the California Raptor Center for 17 years and loved our big Golden, Fuzzy. She weighed 17 pounds! And was so named because a volunteer, shortly after she came in, was impressed at how calm she was and said, “All she needs is a pair of fuzzy slippers and a fireplace, and she’ll be right at home.” She was non=aggressive, but she had her favorite people.
Fuzzy sounds like a wonderful bird, Sallie.
What a wonderful DYNAMIC image ! I’m so happy to see it again,
and the dynamism is what I remember from before but I’m sure the
tweaks made it even better. I’m glad you’re not so “stove up” anymore– that’s an expression my Grandpa used– and I’ve not heard it again until today! You’ve paid the price for freedom of movement you have now, and I’m glad you’re enjoying it…….
Thank you, Kris.
For almost a year I wasn’t sure if the “price” I paid was worth it but now I believe it was.
This photo is new to me, and I really like it. Get the feeling of a wild but controlled burst of energy skillfully handled by an experienced flyer. Those feet and talons prominent on display. A “dynamic takeoff” indeed!
Also new to me was the term “stove up”. Had to Google that one. Short and sweet, and says a lot. Gonna use it.
Well now, it isn’t often that I use nontechnical terminology that’s new to you, Michael. Almost never in fact.
Maybe referring to myself as “stove up” is now a bit of an exaggeration. But a few months ago it wasn’t. Thankfully, I’ve finally improved in that regard.