Kind of a different angle on this regal bald eagle but I like it.

While the missus was hanging out on the nest, the male was perched on the far end of the stand of trees that they call home. He was giving some nice poses and we were having a nice little photo session. The wife soon beckoned though, calling quite loudly, and being a dutiful husband, he headed home to check on her. In doing so, he gave me a really nice flyby that included this image.

TGIF, everyone! Hope you have a great Freedom Friday and weekend!

Whoohoo! Check out this fantastic couple! Sure, I would have preferred some blue sky behind them but I happily captured this scene this past Sunday.

In fact, the pair salvaged what had been a pretty dismal outing up to that point. While I was finding plenty of critters, they were just not being cooperative and I was getting frustrated. Getting desperate, I decided to swing by this nest site which actually is in a very public location adjacent to a highway.

The resident pair of bald eagles were hanging out in one of their favorite spots at the end of a stand of trees, posing perfectly. For more than a half hour I photographed them as they watched the traffic go by, giving me a ridiculous number of cool captures.

Finally, they decided it was time to stretch their wings and, thankfully, I was ready. I ended up with a nice double-launch sequence and then a bunch more in flight shots of the male (left) as he circled around. So much fun and definitely made my day. Have a fantastic weekend!

A bit of attitude from this bald eagle this past weekend. 😀 

Nah, not really. It actually was a very cooperative and willing photo subject, not really caring much about me pointing my camera at it. It gave me some absolutely fantastic closeup looks, this one being my favorite as I tend to think it is similar to the look I have on my face oftentimes.

As my dad would have said, “That’s snot-freezing weather!” Indeed it was at 10 degrees when I got out of my truck to visit with these two beauties on my way home from work today.

It didn’t seem like too far of a walk – until I turned around and started the walk back. That was when I realized I should have put on my knit hat! Despite the cold and temporary discomfort, it was worth it.

Well, what else do you think I would post for National Bird Day? 😉 

This was one of a pair of gorgeous bald eagles I was observing early last month. The male departed in a rather uncooperative direction but the female, well, she put on a fantastic show.

Here she is, flying right at me as she set off in pursuit of her mate. Be kind to our feathered friends today (and every day)!

A young bald eagle is oblivious to another fast-approaching young one from behind. Taken on New Year’s Day, it is of course only fitting that my first pics of 2022 were of my favorite photo subject. Of course I wish they were adults but these second year eagles are handsome in their own right.

With the first, decent snowstorm of the season wrapping up in the Denver area, I kept my excursion local, hoping to not have to go far on the snowy roads. I spotted the sitting young one and had just gotten out of my truck when the second one approached from behind.

I quickly started taking pics, catching this moment when the first eagle had no idea what was coming. The second one ended up landing on a branch above the first, averting too much drama between the pair.

It is tough shooting pics in the snow as the flakes throw off the autofocus and dim lighting makes it even harder to get a good exposure. Thankfully things worked out well for this fun shot.

Better late than never, bald eagle season finally seems to be picking up the pace here on the Colorado Front Range. Numbers are still down from recent years but I am gradually seeing more and more. Best of all, some are hanging out on my route from work to home allowing me a nice photo op to wrap up the day.

Such is the case with this handsome fellow as he and his mate have given me some nice captures. Here, he heads off for a bit of hunting.

The backlighting was less than ideal but as he banked to the left, the sun started to light up his head and gave a nice glint in his eye. The image of course also does a nice job showcasing that impressive six-foot wingspan.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord, I wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas!

Want to share in this guy’s dinner? Looks pretty yummy, eh?

Not exactly great quality pics given the long distance and hefty crop I had to do but still some fun action. I had spent a while watching this handsome fellow and his mate when he took flight and disappeared over a hill. Less than five minutes later, he appeared on a pole behind me on private property.

Here in Colorado we don’t have a lot of bodies of water so bald eagle’s don’t always get their preferred meal of fish. They do quite well though settling for more terrestrial fare like prairie dogs, rabbits and even other birds now and then.

Colorado is famous for its sunshine and blue skies and while I absolutely love them, they don’t always make for the best photo background.

Clouds help to add interest to an image and can really make the shot, particularly with birds in flight. An image of a bird with nothing but blue around it is nice but throw in some light clouds and it takes the capture up another notch. Such is the case with this image taken last weekend.

I was observing a beautiful pair of bald eagles. The male departed, going down the back side of the tree preventing any shots. The female however was far kinder to the photographer, giving me a picture perfect flyby. Best of all, those famous blue, Colorado skies had some thin clouds in them, helping to really make the shot and making it worthy of this Freedom Friday.

I wish you all a fantastic TGIF and weekend!