With 10 eagles all congregating on a prairie dog colony, you knew the outcome wouldn’t be good for the rodents. One eagle caught one and soon there was a fight for it. This adult knew the rules about dining in due to the virus (heehee) and grabbed the remnants of the meal and took it to eat where it could maintain proper social distancing. 😉

Fish are, of course, a bald eagle’s preferred meal. However, here on the plains of Colorado, there really aren’t many bodies of water and this time of year many are frozen over so wintering bald eagles will eat prairie dogs and rabbits and occasionally other birds like geese and coots.

A fantastic look at this beautiful raptor taken on Christmas Day and a fitting image for Freedom Friday.

The rest of my family was in no rush to open gifts and instead opted to sleep in. I, of course, rarely do that and instead headed to a nearby open space to see if I could find any photo-worthy subjects.

Santa brought me a number of bald eagles that morning, including this gorgeous adult. I captured this image as part of a sequence of it launching and heading off to fish. It does a great job showcasing that massive 6+ foot wingspan and the beautiful plumage of these birds.

From a random encounter earlier this month. Driving along, I spotted this beautiful eagle hanging out on a high-tension power pole running through the suburbs northwest of Denver, Colorado.

Given the location and the height of the tower, I wasn’t too inclined to stop until I noticed a pedestrian bridge went right by the pole and provided closer proximity.

That allowed me to get relatively close to the bird and I spent a good 20 minutes photographing it as it kept watch. It finally took flight, going right overhead giving me a nice sequence of images.

Part of the same sequence that the image I posted this morning came from, where I was zoomed in too close. In this case, it gives a nice opportunity to view those deadly talons. Yeah, those might hurt if you were on the wrong end of them.  😉

This is somewhat of what I call a “happy mistake.”

I was photographing this beautiful lady and her mate a few weeks ago. They were quite content to sit for quite a while, never paying me a lick of attention. With as much time as I have spent photographing eagles, I have a pretty good sense as to when they are going to take flight.

She was giving no indications of taking off so I was zoomed in, capturing closeups when suddenly, BAM, there she goes! As most of the wings were cut off in the image, I almost deleted it. I thought twice though and instead, I cropped it a bit closer, hopefully drawing the viewer in on the intense focus the eagle had as she looked skyward.

Have a great TGIF and weekend!

This regal eagle was perched to the back of the pole and sitting so stoically allowing it to appear almost as if could have been carved from the wood.

Bald eagles hold a special place of significance among Native Americans, hence them oftentimes appearing at the top of totem poles. Their meaning varies among tribes but many believe the high-flying eagle is a messenger, carrying prayers to the Great Spirit.

With their elevated status, the eagle’s feathers are considered nearly sacred. They are to be protected and guarded, never disrespected or contaminated. Braves, warriors and chieftains earned them one at a time, usually by an act of valor or bravery.

Yes, even our national emblem can have those kinds of days. 😉

I was flipping through some recent pics of these awesome raptors that I had taken and I noticed a number of them were looking a bit less than their usual sleek, regal, selves. Breezy winds on the open plains ruffled their feathers, so to speak, and thus that is the theme for today’s Freedom Friday. 

So, the next time you wake up with “bed head” or that wind just makes a mess of your usually well-maintained coif, just remember that even the regal #agle has those issues too. Have a great weekend, everyone, and TGIF!

Oh, yes! My favorite time of year is ramping up as the seasonal bald eagles return to the Colorado Front Range for the winter.

Last Sunday, with little effort, I spotted a dozen in an area in northeastern Colorado, many of which gave me some nice poses. This one, however, was by far my favorite capture of the day.

This regal eagle was perched way up on a high-tension power pole, and when it launched, it was kind enough to come pretty much right at me. I got an entire sequence of images including this one with its wings forward, grabbing at the mile-high air, and its eyes focused just beyond me. Awesome!

Have a fantastic weekend and TGIF!