photoartflightFavorite Bald Eagle Snag at Blackwater NWR
Bald Eagles like their snags to roost on at Blackwater NWR. Over the years you get to know where the popular spots are, and also good opportunities for photography. Not only for them on the snags, but also going to and from these spots for great opportunities for in flight photos of Bald Eagles. This was one of the favorite snags year after year, near the end of the Wildlife Drive. But this year, sadly it is gone. It was often used by multiple eagles at once. Nothing stays the same, so hopefully this will open up new possibilities for even closer spots in the future. Header image Canon EOS 7D, Canon 400mm DO w1.4X teleconverter, 1/1250 sec @ f/8, ISO 400. Being Old School, I usually stop down at least 1 additional stop, over the additional f/stop loss when using a teleconverter. I believe this just adds a little more sharpness.
Eagles on snag. Water was frozen over so this Eagle picked a Red-winged Blackbird for a meal. You can see the feathers falling. Canon EOS1D MkIII, 400mm DO f/4, w/ 2X Teleconverter, 1/1250 sec f/14 , ISO 640, effective focal length 1040mm
Crop from above series.
photoartflight 
The top photo almost looks like a time lapse of a landing. I assume it is really three eagles? Marvelous captures! How does an eagle capture a blackbird? It must have been slightly comatose…(the blackbird, that is).
Hi Sue, Thanks! It is one photo. The third eagle chased off the second one. When the water freezes over, they go after a variety of meals. As for the blackbirds, it is actually fairly easy for them. There are huge flocks of them at Blackwater. Some in the thousands, others in the hundreds, so they have a pretty good chance to get one. I have seen them also get a Canada Goose and then fight over it. I will post some photos of the flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds. I have one panorama I shot of about 10 images long and still did not get them all in it. Thanks again!