Sharon (wife) stated since none of the kids were coming on Christmas and it was just the two of us home it wasn’t really Christmas.  The our big Christmas will this Saturday. She wanted to clean and always says she can get more done when I am not around.  She cast me out of the house on Christmas!  The sun was out, blue skies, and a nice steady southerly wind.  Christmas day, and everything is closed, only place I could go to spend 4 or 5 hours was the Mighty Mississippi River.  I always stop before I get to Lock & Dam 14 for a bio break and some food.  The only thing open was a gas station.  They were out of hotdogs and all pre made sandwiches.  My Christmas lunch as a bag of beef jerky and some chips. I was surprised how many other guys got kicked out or were asked to leave and were already photographing eagles.  Tons of photos to edit, but I’l start with a few that I loved the background of.  I’ll start off with some of my more patriotic Eagles.

Red White and Blue Eagles:

Are you interested in spending a day in the field shooting next to me photographing Eagles.  Still a few choice dates open!  Send me an e-mail and we can work out the details.

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Thanks for stopping by, Life is good, and I am blessed!
Kent

This year’s early cold snap had driving the American Bald Eagles down the Mississippi River and into Illinois 3 to 4 weeks early this year.  However, it has been so gray, overcast, or foggy that nobody has been getting any decent photos. I usually never start traveling to photograph eagles until after Christmas.  Cabin fever and boredom was setting in!

Finally yesterday (Friday 12/20/15) a sunny day.  I grabbed my gear and headed to my favorite spot to photograph my beloved Eagles.  Their was 30 – 40 eagles fishing WAY out by the damn, but nothing happening in near the lock.  Took a couple shots of some birds sitting in the parking lot trees.

Classic Banking PoseAction was slow so I was working on my tracking and focus on sea gulls when I caught this one eating a fish mid flight.

Heard a ton of clicking of shutters from photographers around me, turned around to see them firing this female goldfinch behind me.  So I thought I better take a couple too.

Put my 2 X teleconverter on my 500mm and tried to squeeze out a couple mid-air fight sequence. These birds are WAY out there!

A lone eagle buzzed a flock of Speckle Bellied Geese resting on the ice. The all got up and took to the air. I caught them flying past the lock’s traffic light.

Heavy crop, but the rare “upside-down” eagle.  I still don’t have a full frame talon to talon shot.  Maybe this will be the year.  Guess that is why I keep going back.Sometimes I wonder how many more eagles photograph I really need, I think it is more of an excuse to get out an just watch and enjoy them!

More eagles trips to come!

Kent