I hadn’t seen my golden-maned buddy the last few times I was in the area so I was happy he decided to show today. Unfortunately his chosen perch was a good ways away and with temperatures in the single digits, he was in no rush go anywhere.

I spent a half hour with him waiting for him to do something, then left for an hour, came back, and he was still in the same spot. After another half hour I gave up but it was really cool to see him again.

More of my pics of these massive raptors can be found here.

Such an absolutely stunning raptor! I’ve been quite close to a Golden in the wild before and their size is something that is hard to appreciate if you haven’t been near one. However, this past weekend I took part in an event that let me get within just a few feet of one and, well, wow!

A local wildlife photographer group arranged for a visit with Nature’s Educators, a non-profit group that does public outreach events to educate the public on wildlife. Most of the animals in the group’s care cannot be released into the wild for a variety of reasons. Such is the case with Tempest.

This 34-year-old eagle was illegally taken from her nest as a hatching by someone who thought she would make a good pet. That of course did not work out and due to it having been ‘imprinted’ by humans, she could not be released into the wild. To say she is stunning would be an understatement.

The event gave me an opportunity to try out my latest lens, a Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 G2 and as you can see, the results were quite impressive! The lens captured the extraordinary detail of this bird and opening it up to f2.8 really helped blow out the background and ensure it wasn’t a distraction.

I found this good friend of mine in one of its favorite spots in the Colorado foothills this past weekend. It spent more than an hour sitting, waiting and observing but finally it started to get anxious and then took off like a bat out of hell. It flew at mach one down the hill (this image), across the highway and hit the ground hard and fast attacking a prairie dog. That final action was too far away to get pics of and, unfortunately for the eagle, it missed on its strike. Nevertheless, it was an impressive display.

These eagles are one of the largest and fastest raptors in North America. With wingspans that can exceed seven feet across and capable of speeds to 200mph, they are nothing short of impressive. It is little wonder that they are the most common official national animal in the world with Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan all choosing it to represent them.

It has been a while since I have seen my friend – in fact it has been since early spring. I was thinking about her this morning and hoping that she reappears soon. On this particular day back in April, she put on a nice little show for me. There were plenty of flight shots but she also took a break on one of her favorite overlooks, a pole on a hillside, where she kept close watch on the goings on.

If you’ve never seen a golden, you are missing an extraordinary treat. They are clearly just gorgeous but more impressive is their sheer size.

Not the usual type of eagle I post on Fridays but this one is certainly worthy of sharing. Honestly, I can’t believe I have never shared it before now.

Taken back in March, this massive, gorgeous Golden Eagle was hanging out in one of its favorite spots in Colorado’s Front Range foothills. After giving me a great series of shots of it posing, it then launched into the air yielded a host of images as it took flight.

These eagles are one of the largest and fastest raptors in North America. With wingspans that can exceed seven feet across and capable of speeds to 200mph, they are nothing short of impressive. It is little wonder that they are the most common official national animal in the world with Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan all choosing it to represent them.

Have a great weekend, everyone and TGIF!

I have been very fortunate in that the last two weekends have delivered some extraordinary photo opportunities for me. That is a good thing because I had gone a few weeks with excursions that had been disappointing.

This absolutely gorgeous Golden Eagle helped turn the corner for me. I initially spotted it far off in a field in the Colorado Front Range foothills and moved on to see what else I could find. A friend called and let me know that the raptor had moved itself into a nice spot so I hurried back.

After spending some time photographing it in a tree, it gave me a nice flight series and relocated to this pole on a hillside. There is kept watch, seemingly looking for an opportunity to dine. Spotting something in the distance, it launched into the air, extending its legs and spreading those massive wings.

These eagles are one of the largest and fastest raptors in North America. With wingspans that can exceed seven feet across and capable of speeds to 200mph, they are nothing short of impressive. It is little wonder that they are the most common official national animal in the world with Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan all choosing it to represent them.