Posts in Category: Eagle
Maine! Pair of Stares
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — The Bald Eagles are coming to their perches along the river more frequently as the season progresses. I was surprised to find them there at high tide. One flew in, and then, with a lot of whinnying, the other, I am assuming her mate, joined her on the same perch for a short time, before it flew off again up river. These birds are considerably further away than they look in the photos :). Sony a6700 with E 70-350 at 525mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering and -0.3 EV exposure compensation to hold highlight detail. Processed in Photomator (my basic processing for highlight and shadow and sharpness, then AI upscale). I have to say I am impressed with what the little Sony zoom can do on the a6700.
Maine! Here’s looking at you
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — Across the river and not as high up in the trees on the slope on the other side as it generally is…I caught this Bald Eagle looking at me. Its attention was mostly on the stream below where it hoped for fish in the shallow water of low tide on this tidal river. There were other fishers about…fly fishers on this famous stretch of trout water…but it did not seem to mind sharing its hunting stream. Early morning light, from downstream, made for tricky exposures. I always try to balance maintaining feather detail in the white, with feather detail in the shadows. Sony a6700 with Sony E 70-350 G at 525mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. -1.3EV. Processed croped and upscaled in Photomator.
Maine! Eagles are big
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — It always amazes me how small an eagle looks, way up in a tall pine on the other side of the river, even at 600mm equivalent…and how huge that same eagle looks once it spreads its wings to fly. It was not great light…late afternoon and overcast…but I am always happy to find the eagle when I visit the pond. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Breakfast
Bald Eagle: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — I made a quick stop along the river on my way to do errands yesterday and found this immature Bald Eagle having breakfast on large fish on the bar on the far side. Still too far away but beggars can’t be choosers and, in fact, I felt blessed to be there at the right time. The crows were, of course, also very interested in the proceedings. While I was watching a fly-fisherman came walking down the stream and put the Eagle off its breakfast. I am sure it came back if the tide did not get to the fish first. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. This is a heavy crop upscaled and processed in Photomator.
Maine! Siblings
Bald-Eagle (immatures): York County, Maine, USA, September 2024 — There has often been an immature Bald Eagle down at the river mouth these past few months, but here is proof that there were at least two all along. Clearly siblings, to be sitting so close. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 75mm and 477mm equivalents. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Eagle on the river
Bald Eagle: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — It is rare to see the Eagle down near the water like this…still way too far away, but a more interesting angle than where it usually sits, high in pine on the steep slope above the river. This angle really brings out the size of the beak and the talons! Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering in very difficult light (Eagles are about the most difficult bird to expose). Heavily cropped and processed in Photomator with some retouching of highlights in TouchRetouch. Someday I hope to see this bird on my side of the river 🙂
Maine! Tattered Eagle
Immature Bald Eagle: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — This immature Bald Eagle, clearly molting into one of its intermediate plumages before the adult stage, was sitting in a tall pine on the way to the beach the other day, basking in the morning sun after at day of heavy rains. It was too far away really, and the sun behind it, but I had to try. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Plus 2 EV exposure compensation. Animal/bird subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Bye
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — I was surprised to find our local Eagle pair on their perch in the tall pine on the other side of the river late one afternoon. The sun was behind them and they were deep in the shadow of the pine. Still you have to try. Both sat for me for a few seconds after I saw them, but then one decided it was time to go. Not a perfect shot, but the best I could manage in the situation. OM Systems OM-1 Mkii with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Air show
Bald Eagles: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — I have seen this action in photos, and in a video or two on YouTube, but I never expected to see it through my viewfinder. I was taking photos from a great distance of this interaction between 3 immature or sub-adult Bald Eagles squabbling over a perch in the dead top of a tall pine when Eagle number 3 was doing a close pass, when Eagle number 2 suddenly flipped over in mid-air and they did the “show me your talons” thing. From the size difference in the two birds I am thinking this is a male and s female…the female below and the male above. I know it looks so unlikely that you might suspect photoshop or some kind of AI generated image…but I assure you these are real Eagles acting like real Eagles. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent (cropped considerably). Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomatic and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Sunday gift
Immature or Sub-adult Bald Eagles: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — I went for what is becoming my customary Sunday morning photoprowl, visiting our local park along the river and then the river mouth and the marshes behind the dunes where it meets the sea. I am generally pleasantly surprised by something…and yesterday it was an immature or sub-adult Bald Eagle that came, chased by noisy crows, and settled in the dead top of a far pine. I took some shots from where I stood, but then began to walk closer. I was still a long way off when, again, surprise, a second and a third sub-adult eagle flew in from behind the first and attempted to dislodge it from its perch. Nothing doing. The first eagle was not budging and the second never really got settled before the third was on them both. After some interesting areal maneuvers, which I will share tomorrow, all three Eagles flew off, far out over the marsh, where one settled into a tree even further away. On my way out I found the other two in a tree on a rise of the farm fields. A surprise and a gift indeed. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent (from way too far away). Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator. Shutter speed 1/1600th.