eagle at Juanita

[squirl033]

went down to Juanita Bay Park this afternoon to see what i could see... there was actually a fair bit of activity there, including an eagle that arrived to roost for a bit on te old osprey pole out in the middle of the bay. this was shot from 80 yards or so away, and had to be cropped some, but i still rather liked the way these came out... 7D, 100-400L @ 320mm, 1/3200 @ f/5.6...

 

[JaniceL]

Great series of shots. Looks like he is taking care that he doesn't place his talons on those spiky things.

 

[squirl033]

thanks, Janice. that platform was built back in the 90's as a nesting spot for osprey, and the spikes were intended to help keep all the sticks in place. but the osprey never used it... not with eagles hanging around! so it turned into a resting perch for eagles, cormorants, gulls, kingfishers, etc. i just wish it wasn't so far out in the bay... it'd make for much better photos if they'd placed it 25 yards closed to shore...

 

[JaniceL]

it'd make for much better photos if they'd placed it 25 yards closed to shore...

They really should check with photographers about that. . My closest wildlife refuge has a photographer's blind that you can reserve. Only problem it is positioned such that in the winter months during sunrise and sunset it has horrible backlighting since it has a southern exposure.

 

[squirl033]

i assume that's at Ridgefield? i've never been there, though i've heard good things about it. from my experience, this little park in Kirkland is in some ways better, since you can usually get pretty close to the birds, but Ridgefield seems to have a bit more variety in terms of species. for me, of course, it's no contest... Juanita is 15 miles away, and Ridgefield over 150... with the mileage my Jeep gets, close trumps variety, unless i'm really desperate for a change!

 

[JaniceL]

I should have clarified that. I'm talking about Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. The waterfowl swim very close to the blind when the wetlands are full of water. It's a small rustic blind but quite nice, available only by reservation. It's the closest one for me if I want to be there for the crack of dawn.

http://www.fws.gov/tualatinriver/recreation/Photography.html

 

[squirl033]

ah, thanks for the clarification. not familiar with that refuge, but it sounds like one to check out if i'm in the Portland area... that's one of the neat things about this park in Kirkland... i've gotten shots of most of the birds there from less than 15 yards, and some at less than 15 FEET. it does take patience, and like any wildlife work, the critters may or may not cooperate on any given day, but if you're willing to spend the time, and use your eyes and ears, you can get some killer photos there... and you don't have to get up early in the morning!!