One of my favorite local places to go shoot is at the Riparian Preserve, in case you haven't noticed from much of my wildlife photography and posts. It is here that I have experienced the most unusual of things, such as the pelican communal hunting I witnessed last winter.
The Riparian Preserve is a haven for birders. I don't know if I can call myself an official birder; I don't track what I've seen in a journal, and I don't go there to purposely look for a specific bird. I just go there to enjoy the walk, accompanied by my camera gear, and I hope for the best. Some trips out there are amazing, others are disappointing. I just never know what I'll encounter out there.
Yesterday afternoon was an amazing trip. My husband Maynard went with me, and we are both glad he did. We hit the first pond coming in from the parking lot, and I saw a few people with binoculars and cameras. Because of the angle of the various overgrown trees and shrubs, I missed what they were looking at. Fortunately for me, a couple with binoculars asked me if I could see the eagle.
What?
I stepped back into the clearing and peared around the trees and overgrowth, and there it was, sitting high atop a nesting platform. I immediately got excited. This was my first time seeing a bald eagle in "the wild," as opposed to educational places such as our local Liberty Wildlife sanctuary. I stood there with the other photographers, one of whom may have been an eagle spotter, since they were having conversations about tag numbers. I stood there with them for about 10-15 minutes, getting shots, and listening. Eventually, I decided I wanted a quieter place to observe, and I had a feeling there was a break elsewhere along the pond that would give me a closer view. I motioned to Maynard, and we walked back out onto the walking path.
About 100 feet up the path, I wasn't disappointed. There was a clearing that had an unseen path, and it led me to a part of the shore line that jutted out a bit more. I now had a different view of the nesting platform, and it was closer to the little island where the platform was established. It was also shady, a plus in my books.
We stayed there for about another 30-40 minutes. I could see through my lens that the eagle was scanning its domain, keeping an eye out for something. I had moments of wanting to leave, as the eagle overall was super still, but my gut kept telling me to be patient and wait it out. There was a moment of movement as the eagle defecated, quite explosively, I might add, and was still again. I waited.
At last, the eagle decided it was time, and I got shots of the eagle as it took off and flew to the southwest of us.
As a very new and amateur bird photographer, I was nervous that I didnt get any sharp shots. I'm still finessing the art of getting shots of birds in flight, and haven't had a lot of success. Today was different. I got several shots of the eagle in flight, and my favorite is the one you see. It gives you the context of the nest, and it shows you all the mechanisms of how the eagle is being tracked.
As I get older, and watch my family grow and expand, I develop a deeper appreciate for the natural environment around us. For the most part, I believe we should let our creatures be, for they all play a part in the circle of life, and I want my grandchildren and the children after them to have a natural environment they can appreciate, the exception being mosquitoes and cockroaches.