One thing I really enjoy each winter is getting out to watch the bald eagles when they are in the area. Kansas has resident bald eagles that spend all year here with over a hundred nesting pairs found in the state and it is always a treat to spot them anytime of year. In the winter though when more eagles migrate through and the temps drop enough to freeze much of the open water, you can spot them more consistently. I try to to make it out as often as I can in winter and really enjoy spending time watching them.
Seeing the eagles at all is a thrill and I love having the chance to watch them flying overhead, but what is really amazing is watching them maneuver when they come down to the water to grab a fish. Often they glide smoothly down to the water, but in some cases, they will suddenly stop, turn, and dive down to the water. The photo above was taken just as an eagle was making a turn and start a dive towards the water.
In this next photo, a bald eagle is just starting to extend its talons to grab a fish. I was lucky to be out on a morning when several bald eagles were actively fishing.
This fishing attempt was successful and I was able to get some photos of the eagle as it flew up with its catch. This was a very cold morning and I was glad I was able to be close to my vehicle to jump back into between fishing attempts. It was worth the cold fingers though to get the chance to watch and photograph these amazing birds.
This next set of photos is a series of a bald eagle grabbing a fish and occurred in a span of less than a second. It really is amazing to me to watch the bald eagles fish. I’ve been going out to Tuttle Creek Lake to watch the bald eagles each winter for around 20 years now and I can’t imagine I’ll ever get tired of it. I’m not as fond of the cold as I used to be, but I can always dress warmer! If you get the chance to watch some bald eagles sometime, I highly recommend it. I would love to spend some time watching bald eagles in Alaska or a similar location, but I’ll take my winter trips out to the local lake here whenever I can.
As always, thanks for stopping by and if you would like to view more of photographs, you can find more of my work on my website and purchase prints on my online galleries.
