Lots of Bald Eagle Pictures

Lots of bald eagle pictures at 11 Mile Canyon

Getting an early start

I had a pretty good day at Eleven Mile Canyon if I do say so myself! My journey began at sunrise, as I was hoping to get in every minute of eagle photography possible. I watched intently, peering into every tree where the eagles like to perch and look for fish. Not one eagle until I was almost to the dam, and here he was… sitting pretty on a branch across the river. Unfortunately that’s a location that requires a little hike down to the riverbank where the cold of the icy water spills over onto the bank. It didn’t  take long for the bone chilling cold to live up to it’s name!

Frozen knee caps

However I somehow managed to stay in position, poised to capture the coveted in-flight shot. Soon though, I was shaking and it was difficult to keep the camera steady. But I hung in there and eventually the great raptor showed signs of restlessness. I shook my arms out and flexed my legs in preparation for the burst of action.Finally the great bird took flight and I wasn’t ready. Fortunately he only flew a few feet and took up another perch. I hiked through the thicket and readied my camera again. This time he didn’t stay long and I got the pictures 🙂

I began to warm up during the vigorous hike back to the truck, but noticed my knees felt like someone had hit my kneecaps with a hammer. It was actually difficult to drive, but I persevered while rubbing my knee caps as I tried to warm them up. Finally the heater kicked in and the pain began to subside. I have to say, I’ve never had frozen knee caps before, but I wasn’t surprised. The cold in the canyon can be brutal at times!

Several more good opportunities

As the day began to warm I was lucky to receive several more opportunities to photograph this eagle as he made his way downstream. I have finally learned not to fiddle with camera settings. I know what I need to capture the best in flight images possible so I just left the camera at my pre-configured C3 settings.

Eventually the eagle took flight and probably caught a warm updraft into the wild blue yonder, well out of the range of my 400mm lens.

 

Also be sure to visit additional products and services!

Professional Photographers of America (PPA)

Please feel free to visit my PPA Page where I am a member in good standing backed and insured by the best professional photographer association in the country. I can be contacted through the form available on my portfolio there.

 

Make a donation if you enjoy the content

and would like to contribute to the cause!