Photo of the Week 2022-04-11

I haven't picked up a camera in a week, but there are plenty of images in the queue. These are from a few weeks back when I rushed to get some shots of four Bald Eagles that were out on the ice near the far shore of the bay.

 

An adult Bald Eagle seemed to be teaching class. I think it was 'Flying in the Wind 101' because it took off before I could grab a shot of the 4 birds together. Then each immature bird took a turn trying to emulate what they were shown. There were varying degrees of success but all eventually made it and out of my sight line.

 

' flying low '

' three immature baldies - waiting their turn '

I hope this family stays around and I'm able to photograph them again in the coming months.

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2021-03-08

 

Always on the lookout for wildlife as I travel to and from Tobermory, this time of year has my "eyes peeled" for snowy owls. I usually see at least one, sometimes more. But last week, as we drove out of the hot spot for owl sightings, I was about to take a break from scanning the area to either side of the highway when I noticed something large perched in a tree.

 

Nicely perched, this bald eagle was close enough for me to park roadside and shoot from the vehicle without disturbing it too much. Though it is quite evident that it knew I was there, I did not approach any closer than other passing traffic and got what shots I could without causing it to fly off.

 

I make a point of describing how I approached photographing this magnificent bird because I've seen first hand how others with camera (I hesitate to call them photographers) are far too careless and disruptive in their approach. It's not just about getting the shot. It's about capturing a genuine wildlife moment with as little stress to to the subject as possible.

 

note: these images are 35% crops from the original captures, even with my 7DII, EF100-400 II and 1.4x Extender for a effective focal length of ~900mm

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2017-02-20

This week's photos are more about the experience around the photo rather than showcasing a single image that I'm pleased with ... quite the opposite actually. I wish I'd been able to get a lot closer to capture a stunning image of the activity I experienced on a gorgeous sunny winter afternoon.

The background ... it begins with me heading into the cottage after a short walk with Lynn  and Murphy. I'd been fighting a cruddy cold, coughing, sputtering, wheezing, sniffing and generally feeling crappy since Thursday. Tired out from the walk, I decided to go in and rest for a bit, while Lynn headed down to sit in the chairs at the shoreline and take in the sunshine.

She had taken the binoculars with her, as she often does now, and soon there was a knock at the picture window and some words that were just mumbles through the glass. But she turned and seemed to hurry back down to the shoreline so I figured there was something to see. I grabbed my 7DII with the 100-400mm and went down to see what was up.

It turns out she had spotted a Bald Eagle flying along the far side of the bay and by the time I managed to get out there I figured it was long gone on it's search for a meal ... not so. Lynn managed to spot it again perched in a tree along the far shore and directed me to the spot.

Even with the longest lens I had, there would be no close ups given the distance so I settled into a chair and we watched the eagle for well over an hour. We saw it fly from the tree to the ice, where it caught something (fish likely) and had a meal before flying to perch on top of an ice mound. As it sat there we scanned around and we both noticed some other activity that turned out to be a family of three otters bobbing in and out of the open water. Apparently there was a meal in the area and eventually I was able to capture a scene with with all the payers in one frame.

3 Otters and an Eagle

Yes there's actually and eagle out there ...

an Eagle ... crop

 Yes there is actually a family of 3 otters out there ...

3 Otters ... crop

 ... and yes I'm wishing I had a longer lens but even 600mm @ $10,000 wouldn't have gotten the image that I wanted in this case so I'll save my money.

One final image as I followed the eagle over onto the ice flow where it had another meal and then flew back to perch on the ice mound for a while before taking off for who knows where.

touchdown

... what a memorable experience.

DJE

Photo of the Week 2015-08-24

After noticing an immature Bald Eagle sitting on the rock at our shoreline early in my latest week of vacation at the cottage, I began keeping watch in the mornings. A couple of days later I was treated t a fly-by from one of the parents, though not as close as I would have liked.

Since these encounters,  I've spent an hour or so each morning around 7:00 am, sitting at the shore with coffee and camera hoping for a chance at an image from a much closer distance. Still, just seeing these magnificent birds in their natural environment is a thrill.

Sunday morning I sat and watched as the juvenile flew across the mouth of the bay and met up with the adult. Much to far off for anything other than a shot like this ...

DJE

Photo of the Week 2012-06-11

The second leg of travel to Northern Ontario and facility inspections for work had me driving from Kenora to Red Lake to visit 3 sites. I set out at 7:00 am and it was early evening by the time I left the last facility to head back to the hotel. Although it meant that it would be after 10:00 by the time I was back at the hotel, there was the possibility of seeing some wildlife in the evening hours with good light.

Driving on Hwy 105, I expected the usual moose and deer, but hoped for something different. I had seen a couple of eagles soaring overhead during the day and was on the lookout for one perched in a tree. This Bald Eagle obliged me by perching near the ground on some recently cut brush of the roadside embankment. Luckily there was a place to pull over and I walked up the shoulder of the hwy about 50 m slowly getting closer and snapping off a few exposures. The eagle got skittish and flew off so I went back to the car and had just resumed driving when I saw it again just down the road. It was perched in a better position and this time let me get close enough to get some good images..

perched

Moments after I made the exposure for this image, the eagle spread it's wings and flew off having tolerated my presence long enough. What a great encounter.

DJE