The past few weeks it seems eagles have been following me around, and offering some great photographing opportunities. Winter has settled in and finding food is a bit harder for these majestic birds now. Open water is frozen over so fishing is no longer an option, but the deer hunting season has offered other food sources. The gut piles left from hunters field dressing their deer offers some very nourishing food for the eagle as well as other predatory wildlife.
Deer are also getting pushed around by hunters and many times end up away from their normal home range. They’re at risk when crossing roads as they’re pushed by hunters, or trying to return to their home range at night. Also during winter, deer have learned to “sneak” in around residential lots at night, to feed on folks’ shrubbery, which again has them crossing roads and risking injury or death. Road-killed deer provides food for the eagles but the latter are in a dangerous situation too as they may be struck by passing vehicles.
Sometimes wildlife are killed by trains and this too provides the eagle with food, along with added risk. Eagles have learned that roads can be a good source of food during winter and patrol them often.
I of course am always on the lookout for eagles to photograph and lately they have been very cooperative.
One morning as I checked out a local marsh five different eagles appeared at one time, circling over open water as they hunted. They were high in the sky and really didn’t offer me a good situation, but it was thrilling to watch as they soared above me. Another time I counted seven eagles perched together in a group of dead trees in a marsh, and even though they were at a distance the sight made a unique photo for this area.
Recently two different 3-1/2 year-old eagles offered me some tremendous photo opportunities. Both of these birds are basically dark brown with some white scattered around in their plumage. They won’t get that white head and tail until they’re mature, at the age of 5 years.
I saw the first one on the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Reservation when I went there to buy gas, an immature eagle flying low towards the road and looking like he was fixated on something on the ground nearby. I slowed my car and watched, and he soon landed in a tree right next to the road. This road has little traffic, so I was able to approach slowly and stop when he looked nervous. Eventually I parked my car off the road right across from the eagle and got some great shots. Then the bird flew off but soon returned to perch again in the same tree. He did that a few times, almost as if he wanted to make sure I got good images! As always, I got too many.
A few days later, Rich, a good friend, texted me: “There is a eagle in a tree just down the road from my house”. Usually an eagle near the road is not a good photo op as it’s scared off quickly by passing vehicles and abrupt stopping. But this particular road is even less used, and I knew there were some deer remains thrown off to the side (by an unethical hunter) there, so I ventured out.
Sure enough, when I arrived, the eagle was there — and on those remains. Could I approach without spooking him? Eventually, I got within 35 yards or so, and got pictures as the eagle fed on the deer remains. We had a great visit, until he got his belly filled, and then off he went. We did that again for another couple of days! I imagine each time he saw me, the eagle thought, “Oh, it’s that Doug guy again with his camera,” and chose to humor me with various poses and activities.
The time I spent with that one gave me real insight into how powerful an eagle’s beak and talons are, and, oh, what a thrill to sit so close to one for such lengthy periods!