Five days ago I spotted a Golden Eagle perched atop a ridge in a perfect spot for photography. But there was a problem. He was in front of me on the wrong (right) side of my pickup, so my only chance for photos was to drive past “him’, turn around and come back. All I could do was hope he wouldn’t take off as I drove past him.
He was still there when I turned around but he took off before I got close enough for photos. But to my great surprise, instead of taking off away from me, he flew in my direction, along the top of a ridgeline to my left. I was delighted to get about a dozen photos of him in flight as he cruised by.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is one of my favorites, in large part because it includes quite a bit of the top of the ridgeline in the lower background. I also like his asymmetrical wing position and the good light on his face and ‘golden nape’. Many of the rest of the photos look quite similar to each other.
I soon learned that this eagle wasn’t alone. Another Golden Eagle had been perched close to the first one and I didn’t see it until after it took off and followed eagle #1 along the ridgeline. By the time I spotted eagle #2 it was almost past me. All I had time for was a couple of very quick shots that I had to take before I’d acquired sharp focus on the eagle.
This abomination was the result. I barely kept eagle #2 in frame and my focus point locked onto the jutting rocks below the bird, so the eagle is soft.
In bird photography, sh*t happens. Regularly. I’m just glad I had better luck with eagle #1.
Ron
What a lovely thing to see this late afternoon! Even the blurry one is quite acceptable given what it may tell us about the future…golden babies in your viewfinder sometime down the road?
I sure hope so, Chris.
I was there (If I recognize it from your photo, and I am pretty sure I do) and they were both still there. I failed in my photos for the same reason, but at least I still got to see them. There was a Harrier pair (not you) trying to chase them off. I hope we both get some better shots, soon.
Suzanne, I hope we both get more chances with these two.
I’m calling #2 a “documentary shot.”
Even blurry, I can see that magical golden nape. I’d take just seeing two Goldens in the wild as a HUGE win, let alone getting any proof via a camera. Hope you have many, many more moments with these two lovelies!
“I’d take just seeing two Goldens in the wild as a HUGE win.”
Marty, I take it as exactly that. I probably only have an opportunity with ONE Golden Eagle about 3-4 times per year. Two at the same time is, as you say, a HUGE bonus.
Looking forward to more shots of these two! Assuming they stick around …. Fingers & toes crossed!
Kathleen, if I get’em, you’ll see’em.
I really like #2 for the asymmetrical wing position and what it adds to the overall composition– I hope both of those birds hang around for your next trip up to their neighborhood.
Thanks, Kris. You can bet I’ll be looking for them.
Gorgeous bird! Neat that there are two of them in the area – a mated pair?
Gorgeous rocks and grass in #2 – just crop out the fuzzy bird!
“a mated pair?”
Very possibly, Carolyn. I hope so, and that they stick around for nesting season – which for them begins very early.
#1 is gorgeous!
Glad you were able to capture him! What we want to focus on and what the camera choses are at odds more often then I care to think about….. 
Cold is here and, as usual, minimal snow for us – was hoping for good cover for the wheat – sighhhh.
Finches are back in spades needless to say…….
Thanks, Judy. Glad you like #1.
It’s -15° in Cut Bank right now and I see on the Glacier Electric webcam that it snowed last night (late yesterday there was no snow on the ground). It’s pretty funny to see all the snowplows and school buses driving by and all the cars lined up for coffee at the Latte Da coffee stand just before 8:00 AM – people going to work.
https://www.glacierelectric.com/webcam
Fun post Ron. #2 was obviously taken by me and not our
Feathered Photographer.
Send a couple of those down here to Prescott.
“Send a couple of those down here to Prescott.”
Don’t hold your breath, Everett. When it comes to Golden Eagles, I’m pretty stingy.
Yep, it does happen.
But so too does the good stuff. Case in point, Eagle #1 shot; catch light and all.
Michael, all we can do is take the bad with the good and try to improve the odds with practice and by paying very close attention.