Bald Eagle photography discussion thread...

[Ioway]

Bald Eagle photography discussion thread...

A few years ago I was in a Barnes & Noble book store and wandered by the Nature photography book section and flipped through several books. In one book (whose title I have long since forgotten) I read with interest a chapter by well known photographer Moose Peterson about his photos of Bald Eagles. As I recall, he related to his wife that the Bald Eagle photos he had shot up to that point were not satisfactory to him. He wanted better Bald Eagle photos. Better photos than he had captured to that point. He wanted Bald Eagle photos with more impact. The chapter that I read in the book went on to say that his quest led him to shoot Eagle photos in Homer, Alaska.

If you are like me, you share Moose Peterson's sentiments. I too want to capture better Bald Eagle photographs, better photos than when I started out shooting and better photographs than I took last year of Bald Eagles. In this discussion thread, I hope we can share some ideas, share our experiences, share strategies and share techniques used to help each of us in our own personal quests to get better Bald Eagle photos than we have previously. We will all benefit from an exchange of ideas and thinking things through in our process to get better photos of Bald Eagles.

Now for the disclaimer: I can guarantee that at least fifty per cent of the people who read this thread are better and more skilled photographers than I am. Also I am not a biologist, nor a naturalist, who knows more about Bald Eagles than you do. I suspect the powers that be in heaven were looking down one day and the heavenly conversation went like this. See Tom in Iowa down there? It is obviously we shorted him in the good looks department not to mention leaving him out completely in the brains department, but to make amends to him for these deficiencies, we ought to let him have the joy of following after the Bald Eagles and photographing them . My only credentials are the Bald Eagle photos I have captured locally in Iowa.

I don't shoot professional glass. I use the 80-400 Nikon VR. So the good news is that if you like my Bald Eagle photos you don't need the most expensive glass to get decent photos nor to enjoy the quest. If you have better glass, great you'll then get better photos faster.


If you have an interest in this type of dialogue, leave a post to say so. When we get four or five people interested we will kick off starting this thread with the post by gatornole in the thread "Re Bald Eagles wings and things...

Originally Posted by gatornole
Tom--once again fantastic photo's of my favorite bird. I live in Jacksonville and have been following a pair of nesting eagles for 3 years. It's incredible--they come back to the same tree in October build their nest have their eaglets, leave in May after tearing the nest down-come back in October. This year there are 2 Fledglings. About the size of mom and dad now. I haven't been able to get any pics like yours. The nest is in a heavily wooded tree covered area and the nest is usually pretty dark all time. Also, these guys are pretty skidish and book when I come near and believe me, I am the most stealth guy you can know. I shoot with a Canon 50D, 100 x 400MM f5.6--any suggestions-gladly take them. I know--patience patience patience and of course practice.--Thanks--Steve

Tom in Iowa

[gatornole]

Tom---You're to humble--but I can relate--only to the lack of grey matter (lol)--I saw a web site the other day about birding locations in Florida. A link led to Eagle Watch. I read where they are looking for volunteers to monitor nest and seek out new ones around your particular area of the state. One interesting note that I read was Florida was second only to Alaska in the number of Bald Eagles. Wow---where!---I e-mailed them and said sign me up. Maybe I'll find out where they are in N Fla. My only experience to date is this particular nest in St. Augustine where I have followed a nesting pair for 3 years. The only pictures I get are ones I am looking up at or ones of them pretty high in the air.
One thing I've noticed on this site is Eagle pics seem to be taken for the most part around dams or rivers where it seems they are comfortable with humans and have no problems landing near or flying by without fear. My eagles take flight whenever I come near because they aren't use to seeing humans. I don't think any photographers know this place because in 3 years I have never seen anyone there when I go in. I told a friend of mine last week and he and his wife went there Saturday. Looking forward to see how they made out. I say that to say this--my second favorite Raptor is the Osprey--these guys are all over St. Augustine beach and you can almost get within yards before thay take flight. I shot some this past Saturday and was 10 yards from one on this small bridge. He didn't go anywhere for 15 minutes even as 100's of motorcycles buzzed by on their way to bike week in Daytona. It was amazing. Also,when I play golf there are many many birds--Ospreys, Egrets, Herons, Hingas (sp) who just hang out because they are use to humans and it seems they know that no one is going to bother them.
I guess I'm going to have to find a place in central or n Fla that maybe has dams or rivers that are frequented by Eagles where humans are. Anyway, looking forward to chatting with you guys.
I'm going to B&N to see if I can research the book you were talking about Tom---Thanks--Steve

[Ioway]

Tom,
One thing that works in your favor is that hungry birds are less likely to fly off.
I do recall getting close to Hawks that had just captured dinner.

Tell me please (I am sure you have answered this question before), are you shooting from a car or a blind? God forbid you are exposed to the elements.

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The majority of my photos are shot from a vehicle which acts as a mobile blind. I like to shoot out one side of the vehicle and have the windows on the other side blocked off so movement in the vehicle isn't as obvious. I shoot where there are enough Bald Eagles present that I want to take advantage of the mobility a vehicle gives you to move around. Sometimes being able to move ten or twenty feet makes a difference in getting the best angle. Sometimes I see activity and move a quarter mile away or more to shoot and then return to the original spot. Farm tractors often can drive to within twenty yards of Bald Eagles as long as the drivers remain in the cabs.

There are times when a stationary blind would be beneficial.

In certain situations being out in the elements rather than in a car works better. Trees usually line the rivers. If Bald Eagles are actively fishing trees along the river bank become an impediment to shooting as trees get in the way of panning to follow the birds. In that situation wearing camo and standing against a tree trunk on the edge of the river bank can be very productive for getting clear shots without scaring the Bald Eagles away and/or without having the trees interfere with the autofocus as you swing the camera to follow the flight of the Eagles. Cold weather is not a problem even down in the single digits. The Eagles don't mind cold temps and usually nobody else is out and about in cold weather to scare the birds off.

Tom in Iowa

[FLDataTeK]

Hey Tom... First off I wanna say your Eagle photos are incredible.... I only dream of shots like those...

On the second note I am Steve's friend that also shoots the eagles in the same location, and I must say they are a major challenge as they are very flighty and will not allow you to get within 200 yards of them.

I have tried several different approaches to trying to get a decent photo of them. The location of their nest is on a kind of L shaped point surrounded by marsh and heavily wooded with 60' Pine trees everywhere. I have even gone out in the early morning before the sun comes up so it is completely dark out and walked around the nest on the marsh area farthest away from the nest to get to the best shooting point, but as soon as I got there and even before I could get ready to shoot the birds took off.

I do think I am wearing the little one down because he is slowly letting me get closer, but not by alot. What has helped is I picked up a Sigma 150-500mm lens with Optical Stabilization that now gives me enough lens to shoot 3/4 of the way across the point so I am able to stay far enough away so that the little one does not get spooked and still take a decent picture.

The eagles will even do flyby's to check and see where I am sitting before landing somewhere, and they will pick a spot away from me so I get up and walk to go get photos of them. Very tiring walking back and forth with that heavy Sigma...

I need eagles like you have.... That will let me walk up to the and pet them and will even pose for photos with a fish in there mouth.. :P

Thanks for any advice you can give us, and I look forward to chatting with you more..

- Jeremy

[Ioway]

Hey Jeremy

Welcome to Camels. Bald Eagles are a challenge for sure. Wild Eagles are intelligent, wary and constantly alert to what is happening in their realm. It is not likely that you will be able to sneak up on Bald Eagles. In all my encounters with the Bald Eagles I walked up on one in a tree that was unaware of my presence. The Bald Eagle was sleeping/ napping in a tree and unaware of our presence. We were able to back away without disturbing the bird. In about every other encounter I am pretty certain that the Bald Eagles were aware of my presence.

Unless there is an opening in the branches and pine needles at the nest, and you happen to have a good viewing angle to that opening, you are unlikely to get clear shots of the Bald Eagles at the nest. Most of shots around the nest are at a distance... on the opposite side of a river or across a farm field from the nest. An wooded area such as you describe with tall pines sounds like it will be difficult to get a clear shot at a distance within the woods.

Have you scouted the area and watched the Eagles to know where they like to perch to sun and watch the nearby water? Most of the nest areas that I watch have snags (sometimes several snags) in the vicinity where the Eagles are in a habit of perching to sun themselves, to sharpen their beaks, to watch the water for fish and for a place to get away from the Eaglets (that are still back at the nesting tree). It is usually much easier to get an open shot at these snags than at the nest itself. I know I have many more dramatic looking photos at these snags than I do from the nests that have the view obscured by leaves or needles.

Tom in Iowa

[Ioway]

Photos at the Bald Eagle nests are usually limited in perspective and viewing angles. The most common perspective is an upward angle which might not be the most complimentary view. Also, if there is a canopy in the nest tree, branches leaves or pine needles will often obstruct a clear view of the Eagles and play havoc with autofocus abilities on the camera.

In southern Iowa most often Eagle nests are found in large cottonwood trees. Given that these are deciduous trees, nests are exposed to view during the late winter and early Spring nest building and egg laying activities, but the foliage is out by time the eggs hatch and the Eaglets are learning to fly. Pine trees would be even more problematic for gaining a view of nesting activity. It is for these reasons that I check nest activity from a distance and get more photos at a distance from the nest where the Eagles spend their time.

Bald Eagles are creatures of habit. They favor certain trees and often specific tree branches for perching and for lookout posts. Learning these habits and spots will often let you make plans to get the type of Bald Eagle photo you want or to plot your strategy and preparations so you get the shot when the opportunity presents itself. But even with all that, it is still a matter of luck, good fortune and accessibility.

One photo that I hoped to capture but never pulled off was of a pair of Bald Eagles that I had seen standing shoulder to shoulder on a thin tree trunk that extended out horizontally from the bank about two feet above the surface of the river. It was a special favored perch of this pair after fishing. This was located on the opposite side of the river from their nest. I saw them stand there several times nuzzling each other like an old married couple, I was close enough I could see their mouths open and listen to them sing aloud. I was able to get some fuzzy photos of their heads while standing on this perch, but never was able to get an open shot of their full bodies out on the limb above the river. Seeing them through the trees is something I won't forget, but I never did get the photo to document it. That perch finally washed away in the next river flood.

With Bald Eagle photography finding the birds is just a first step. One has to think about what type of shots one wants to capture. Then you have to figure out a way to get the capture and or where you need to be to get the capture. Accessibility becomes a big factor in determining your odds of being able to get the capture you want.

Photo #1 Bald Eaglet in the nest tree. The Eaglet was in the early stages of its flight training, but could fly away from the tree and back when it wanted to do so. This was probably about 14 weeks of age. It is a heavy crop and not all that interesting of shot other than it shows the coloring of the Bald Eaglet at that age.

Photo #2 Photo of Bald Eagle mama and this Eaglet on the nest. This photo was taken from a blacktop road surface with the camera on a tripod. The tree foliage had an open space that made the nest visible from the road. Heavy trucks passed by this spot frequently hauling rock from a quarry and noise from the quarry activity could be heard at the nest much of the week. People from a nearby town walked this blacktop for exercise often. The proximity to the quarry seems to make it an odd choice for a nest location, but the Bald Eagles have been successful at hatching at this location. A few minutes before this photo was snapped, I missed getting a photo of the mother flying in with about a three pound fish glistening in the sunlight as it hovered momentarily over the nest with its catch. My camera was on a tripod pointed at the Eaglet and by time I saw the mother coming with the fish, I was not able to swing the camera over to catch the delivery of the fish. Opportunities are fleeting and last only a few seconds. You are ready or you aren't when those times present themselves.

Tom in Iowa

[gatornole]

Tom----Still pretty darn good. I know what you mean--it's hard getting a good shot of these fellows. I took some the other day of the Juvi's as did my friend Jeremy. It appears they are not as spooked yet like their parents. Probably to young to know what a human is.
I have been following this pair of nesting BE for 3 years and have to walk a little ways back in a heavy pine forest. As you said, pine trees are real tough to get a clear shot. To many branches around. Neat story---I had to be in Charleston today to look at a project my bank is doing and of course I took my camera. This is a residential development with over 200 existing homes. Some back up to this pine forest. I was telling my friend that I brought my camera just in case I saw some birds to photo. Now get this--He said--oh there's an Eagles nest right over there behind those homes that border that pine forest. Are you kidding me! I parked my car in front of this house and walked behind it and there was the nest. I mean I could see it standing in the back yard. However, to many trees and branches to get a good shot without going a little ways in the forest. I saw one of the adults and one fledgling sitting on a limb. Got a couple snaps but to much interference. How cool is that--drive 260 miles and get a easy shot at an eagle---you never know. Also, there was a retention pond behind the houses and an Osprey was flying around looking for a meal. Got some good shots of him. When I was shooting the Osprey--the adult Bald came and hassled with him above the pond--pretty cool.
I also signed up for what the AUDUBON SOCIETY calls Eagle Watch which looks for and monitors Bald Eagle nests in the city and counties in your area. So might be a great tool to get to know the habits of these guys and take better pics. I'll keep you posted

[Ioway]

Hey gator.

From your original post I was going to ask about one thing you had mentioned about the eagle nest. In this area the nests are not dismantled each year. Rather the eagles continue to build and add sticks with each successive season. The mass of the nest is generally increased each year. Did the pair you have been watching need to rebuild a nest in that woods from scratch each year or was the nest knocked down by storms?

Neat story about driving 260 miles to learn that a Bald Eagle nest was awaiting you at your destination and then to see the interaction between an osprey and Eagle would be like icing on a cake.

Any watch groups from Audubon, bird watching groups or clubs, DNR are very helpful sources for Bald Eagle information. I work with local and state DNR people. Once they know that you will act reasonably near nests and that you will help volunteer reports and information about new and old nest locations and ocupancies etc, they are more comfortable about sharing information about nest locations. People in this area know of my interest in Bald Eagles so it is not uncommon for me to receive helpful phone calls and reports from people I know or even those I have not yet met. I do try to share photos with people that go out of their way to be helpful and they appreciate that acknowledgment.

The internet is a valuable resource too. I see Florida has public listings of Bald Eagle locations from a quick google search about Bald Eagles in Florida.

Tom In Iowa

[FLDataTeK]

Well I looked on the web and found a nice site that you can search for known eagle sites and found out that there are quite a few around Doctors Lake so I chose one that was close to Eagle’s Harbor. It was really nice because there is a boardwalk that goes over a marsh area plus it is close to houses so I figured the birds would be accustom to people being around and might not be as flighty.

The bad news is that I did not find the nest, but the good news is that I did hear eagles talking and heard one in the woods behind me but was not able to get a visual. The other good news is that I got a picture of one of the adults flying high above me when I was on the marsh.. The picture attached is her/him.

The other really good news is that there are Ospreys, Hawks and I even heard a Owl hooting in the woods ( I could not find him). As you can see I did get photos of the Hawk… Really good photos up close and personal… The really up close one was kind of funny because I was walking back across to leave and the bird scared the crap out of me because it was sitting about 6-8 feet above the boardwalk watching me walk below it, he was not scared of me at all and he stayed there for probably 10 minutes watching me take pictures of him. I was so surprised that he did not mind that I was so close to him, if I had a mouse I would have given it to him for being a good bird..

According to the map there are several more nesting areas around there that I will check out soon as this place is about 15 minutes drive from my house.

The eagle:



And the Hawk: (only resized.. NOT cropped at all.... I was THAT close)

[Ioway]

Hi Jeremy,

Nice photos of the hawk. Wasn't that a nice bonus of going out to look for Bald Eagle nests. Sounds like you found a location with lots of potential to hone your bird photography skills. It is great that the osprey and hawks in that area hang around long enough to allow you to take plenty of shots. Hawks in the Midwest tend to be very shy and fly away if you look hard in their direction.

You will want to start practicing BIF shots to gauge the settings for your camera and lens combo to know what approximate settings work best for clear stop action shots of the birds flying past and/or those flying directly overhead. Knowing the camera settings and being ready for the present conditions will reduce the number of blurred shots and loss of opportunities that present themselves. You'll need to decide if you are having better success in manual mode, aperture mode, or program mode. You'll get an idea how to keep from blowing out the white highlights of the Eagle head and yet try to get decent exposure to the underside of the wings. Anything flying past you will be good target practice for getting crisp flight shots.

The Flordia Eagle nest locator is a valuable resource. I saw that the first night that I googled Florida info. Believe me many states are not nearly as forthcoming with that type of info. I did a quick search asking for Bald Eagle nest sites within fifty miles of Jacksonville. The search yilded 95 nests. Think about that 95 nests within fifty miles. If you and Steve decided to survey or investigate eight of those nesting sites each month, it would take you twelve months to complete the survey. If you don't have a GPS unit already you guys may want to invest in one to save time in locating some of the sites.

Also if you looked at the other site you listed, did you take a look at the Record Management Plan Brochure. That brochure had some very nice Eagle photos taken by Dominick Martino. You may want to search out more of his Bald Eagle pictures because, that should give you an idea of the caliber of shots you should be able to get in your area, if you and Steve become serious about shooting Bald Eagles. You also may find opportunity to meet Domminick Martino and gain insight from him about his experience in photographing Bald Eagles in Florida.

Beware if you get bitten by the bug of shooting Bald Eagles, it can be addictive.

Tom in Iowa