It has been a few weeks since I’ve visited their nest. There I saw and heard two chics screaming for more food. They seem to like the fish dinners.
It has been a few weeks since I’ve visited their nest. There I saw and heard two chics screaming for more food. They seem to like the fish dinners. Clearly, they had both parents out scrambling. Still, the parents kept a close eye on the chics. I could see one of the parents return from over the river (empty taloned) and circling high overhead looking for any aerial or ground predators, then returning to the river to hunt down the fish. The chics look to be ready to fledge soon.
You will find today’s shots in the first seventeen photos of my online gallery.
I was shooting in high speed continuous mode using center screen focus. The camera focused in most shots on the background instead of the bird, so only the last two images, above, were marginally fit for presentation.
Adult Bald Eagle
Unfortunately, the images in this post are of poor quality because the birds are too far away, so they will not appear at my on-line gallery. Instead, I show them here because they tell a story about two juvenile Bald Eagles, one that successfully caught a fish and the other that failed. In fact, the successful bird has likely failed several times also. With time, they will rarely miss a catch.
Inept juvenile bird fish attackLocked on targetLaunchEnrouteSuccessful fish snagOff to lunch
I was shooting in high speed continuous mode using center screen focus. The camera focused most shots on the background instead of the bird, so only the last two images, above, were marginally fit for presentation. The bird’s actual strike was totally blurred. My alternative would be to use single-point focusing but that would mean getting that one point right on the bird, a tough challenge.
I also re-shot the nesting pair of Osprey’s that you can see in the first eleven photos at my on-line gallery. I could not yet see any of the chicks. Stay tuned.
If you have any interesting shots of raptors I would love to see them.
Ospreys are “snow birds,” they do not stick around for the cold weather.
IUCN designation: LC The Osprey is a global bird whose populations are increasing.
I recently visited one of our many preserves and ran into these two birds. They were in the process of lining their nest for the upcoming parenting season. Ospreys are “snow birds,” they do not stick around for the cold weather. They generally return to the same nest each year. I’ll return to photograph over the coming weeks once the eggs have hatched. In the meantime, you can find a four-shot sequence here.
The bird I photographed for this post is a juvenile because it has not developed the white feathers of the head and neck.
Photographed with my Fujifilm X100F street camera
This season I plan to focus on two subject areas. The first is macro photography, and more specifically, insects. Yes, Insectorama season 4 is in the works! Whether you love or hate them, I am interested in them since most of the good insects are in rapid decline (alas, there is no shortage of biting or otherwise destructive insects–another one of the calamities from climate change).
My other focus is raptors. Although I have done a lot of bird photography, I have few shots of raptors and most of what I have are from afar. So, unlike the photos presented here that are also from afar (and less than super-sharp) I intend to get some close-ups this season. This means finding some good feeding locations for different species and spending time there in wait.
The bird I photographed for this post is a juvenile because it has not developed the white feathers of the head and neck. The rest of its feathers have more pronounced marking than full adults which, as with so many animals, provides camouflage to better protect them until they have gained maximum strength and life skills. By the way, have you ever noticed that raptors never smile?
Although I am getting more technically proficient with video production, the current video would benefit from a tripod to eliminate camera shake. While I do have a second tripod, it is getting increasingly challenging to carry all my equipment when there is significant hiking involved. I might have to hire an assistant! In the meantime, please bear with me. And yes, I could benefit from hiring a voice coach. I will add that to the list. Anyway, here are my four best images from Raptor Hunt.
Stephen Fielding Images 