Don't have any nesting in the region, but Cookie finally ran one down that was following the waterfowl through.

Nice to also see one that was not perched on power pole.

That's an awesome pic....

Did you try to pet it?

Great picture. I never get tired of looking at these magnificent birds.

Zoom up n look at those talons.... no wonder the fish don't fall after they pick them out of a lake.

A crew of us once picked up a golden that had a broken wing. When we had it surrounded, it grabbed a sagebrush with a single foot. We had to break both sides of the trunk off to bag it, as no amount of effort could get those talons loose. Following that experience, I'll never let a large raptor get a grip on me. I believe those talons are physically locked, and it takes a conscious effort for them to let go.

Owls have pretty tough talons, too. And nesting owls are known for being very aggressive toward people who walk near the nesting areas. We had a nesting owl near Anchorage, Alaska that attacked a few hikers who got too close. One of them had no idea that there was a nesting owl nearby until the owl attacked from behind and ripped the stocking cap he was wearing-off his head. In the process the owl left several deep gashes on the guy's head that require a few stitches. He bled profusely on his way to the hospital.

I suspect those are not the most sterile of wounds either.

Probably full of germs from the animals they kill.

That is one beautiful picture of a beautiful bird. What camera and lens do you use?

Thanks.


For these Cookie used a Canon EOS 70 D and a Canon 500 mm lens. Distance was about 30 yds. Any closer and it would have more than filled the frame.

There is no substitute for the big telephotos. The cost is daunting, but the results speak for themselves.

Yes, I have the Canon 400L (without IS), and it has been quite good for me. But sometimes I wished I had the 600mm one, although it's just too expensive.

Eagles are very common in some areas of Alaska. I used the 400mm L on this one, but I had to crop the photo. Even so you can tell that the lens is very sharp:

Yes, out east here we thrill to the rather rare sight of a Bald Eagle. But when I spent expended time in rural Alaska, I got tired of seeing them. If you look in the tallest tree at every bend in a river up there, a Baldie will be perched watching for fish below. They seemed as common as Sparrows.

There is a town called Chitina in the Copper River valley where Alaskans dip-net for salmon. The eagles congregate by the river when the salmon season starts. The photo above was taken by the Copper River in Chitina.