Conversation With An Eagle [8]

[canonloader]

Sir? Sir? Sir, you have a feather stuck on your nose...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1490-111107.jpg

Why don't you stop worrying about what I am "balancing" on my nose, and see if that old 1D can focus on my brother sneaking up behind you?
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1497-111107.jpg

That's your brother? OK, let's see if it finds focus in all those twigs...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1503-111107.jpg

Well, it looks good from here... Oooops, watch out...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1506-111107.jpg

HAHAHA, it's not like I am going to fall...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1522-111107.jpg

OK, I'm out of here...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1531-111107.jpg

See Ya later...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1542-111107.jpg

Send me a print...
http://www.flashbax.com/slide_shows/american_bald_eagles/gallery/album1/large/baldeagle-db3b1544-111107.jpg

[hTr]

Awesome, Simply Awesome Mitch!!!

[winkie]

awww... he looks so cute with a feather on his nose. well captured!

[canonloader]

Thanks Gary and Winkie. Looks like we have some eagles around now, not a lot yet, but enough for a good shoot. :)

[joayne]

Wonderful Series Mitch.. and of course a good story line to go with it. Well Done!!

[canonloader]

Thanks Joayne. I actually got a lot more shots of the sitting brother, but couldn't resist the bird funny. :)

[MDoc]

Wow those are terrific.The detail is really wonderful.

[canonloader]

Thanks Doc. Everything was right at the limits. Stacked TC's and big crops. Luckily, the light was terrible to go with it. :lol:

[HWP]

Wow Mitch. Back with the eagles eh?! Love the shots and the story. The 1D has done well...especially being able to focus around all those branches.. How'd it do that?

I got a tip on some eagles about 45 minutes south of me. Apparently there is a nature area next to a dump (yes it's true) and the eagles fly back and forth from the dump to their nests in the nature area. I guess they're a bit of a scavenger. I'll be checking it out sometime. It would be only about 15 minutes from where I work.

Henry

[canonloader]

Thanks Henry. Man, I don't know how it does that, but I have learned to trust that it can do it. Alex told me it could do it, and I tested it on sparrows in my Lilac bush, and the 1D focus simply amazing. And this with double stacked TC's.

I wish we had a dump around here. Definatly a treasure trove for eagles and other raptors.

[IraRunyan]

Fantastic series Mitch.

[canonloader]

Thanks Ira. Just a taste of what's to come. I saw 6 today, but all but these two were too far away. :)

[bromm]

Well done Mitch, I can feel the "Eagle Magic" of yours coming back! We have eagles around all year but I cant seem to get shots like yours.

[canonloader]

Thanks Trevor. It's not as easy as it looks. I took over 500 shots, and ended up deleting more than half. Not cause they were bad, but because they were duplicates and more. Shooting into the limbs and branches, it's hard to see if I am getting focused shots or not. I was also standing out for almost 3 hours and this guy never left. I didn't want to spook him, but he lasted longer than I did. Luckily, the other one came along for a couple of wing shots. :)

[Shar824]

Mitch these are great :D.....I know you're glad the eagles are starting to show up.




Sharon

[canonloader]

Thanks Sharon. Yes, it was good to see them coming back. It happened just about the same last year, only a month earlier. By this time last November, everything was frozen solid. :)

[cool breeze]

Nice series Mitch! Real nice.

[snappa]

Fantastic shots Mitch.

[canonloader]

Thanks Will and Snappa. Glad you liked them. It was good to see them today. :)

[EdV]

Nice job, Mitch. Looks like you worked your way through the branches pretty well. They all look good but I like 1 and 8 best.

[canonloader]

Thanks Ed. The 1D seems to focus on anything inside the tangle that moves in relation to the rest of it. Makes sense, and it seems to be the case. :)

[dpastern]

hahaha funny stuff, thanks Mitch, I had a good laugh at this, Good shots as well :)

Dave

[canonloader]

hehehe, thanks Dave. I have many more of that first bird, in all kinds of contorted positions. Not sure what he was doing, but he spent at least 2 hours preening in that one spot. I'll save those for another day. :)

[Ed Rotberg]

LOL! Fun series Mitch. Put a real smile on my face :D

= Ed =

[Reyno]

Great images of a magnificent bird. Very well done Mitch.

[Canon_For_Life]

Great captures and captions mitch! :lol:

[ajosteve]

Nice shots Mitch, glad the Eagles have returned for you...keep them coming...steve

[canonloader]

Thanks Ed, Reyno, Mike and Steve. I wasn't going to use some of these shots, but there was a little story there, so I decided to go ahead. :)

The 1D ability to focus through all that junk is phenomenal though. ;)

[wlaramie]

Mitch, you have the gift of photography for sure. These are great and it looks like that setup is going to work nicely for you as the Eagles return for the photo sessions this year.

[canonloader]

Thanks Bill, but things aren't looking good for the winter. It's November 12 already and we have barely had a frost yet. Yesterday and last night, and now today have been so warm, I have the heat off and slept with the windows open last night. We need a hard freeze all over the mid-west to make the eagles congregate here, and so far, it looks like one of those freaky warm winters we've been getting, except for last year. :)