I have watched the Berry College eagles for a couple of years now but have never ventured to go there. Today I decided to head up there. I arrived around 1:00pm which I learned was not the best time for activity. From a knowledgeable colleague, he said mornings and sunset were the best time for viewing. Well, he was right, as I waited 4 hours until the father returned to the nest.
Mother sitting in the nest attending to the babies
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 900, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
The father arrived quite unannounced so he caught all of us by surprise and I was only able to catch him as he arrived at the nest.
Father arriving at the nest
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
Father at the nest
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
The two of them ate from the remains in the nest for about 10 mins and then the mother decided it was time for her to take flight.
Mother preparing to leave the nest
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1600, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
Mother preparing to leave the nest
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1600, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
She sat on the branch for a minute, giving us time for portraits to be taken.
Mother just before take-off
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1250, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
Not the best sharp photo but at least you can see her glide.
Mother take-off
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1800, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
She only flew a short distance and landed in this pine. She stayed for a minute and then took off again.
Mother sitting
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 3200, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
We all thought she would be gone for awhile but it was only about 3 minutes later when she returned. It wasn’t until I looked at the photos that I noticed her talons were full of nesting material.
Mother returning with nesting material
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1600, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
Mother returning with nesting material
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1250, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
Mother returning with nesting material
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1250, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
Mother returning with nesting material
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 1250, 600mm f/5-6.3, natural light, not baited, called in or set up
equipment list – Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD on a Nikon D610
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Have I said WOW lately? Great images.
Thanks Colleen, it was a great day watching and waiting but it was worth it for the 30 minutes of activity.