Baby Eagles leaving the nest for first time

[jack55]

First flight III
I've been showing this Eagle/babies series on another forum. Don't know if there is that much interest here?

My first two series aren't quite as good a this one as I couldn't get the parents in those.
Have I got a story for you! This is day 3 in my sequence of the eagle babies learning to leave the nest and fly. Today the Mom was calling the babies out of the nest as they didn't want to leave. They both flew for the first time the past two days, but they kept going back to the next. The Parents are trying to get them out for good.
This is the sequence that followed. Lot's of action!

C'mon son... you can do it!


Uh oh... here he comes!


Daddy, daddy, look at me flying! (notice Dad trying to avoid the collision!)


"Dang kid, there's a whole tree here and you got to push me off."


Daddy, come back!


Look at me, look at me! I can fly!

[DonalDuc]

Excellent!

[a200user]

Those are awesome Jack. I'd like to see more.

Jim

[mole]

Amazing capture of an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing!

[Keltech]

Jack,

Terrific captures.

You are lucky to have such magnificent birds nearby. The time of year when we get or bald eagles visiting are in the coldest two months of winter, so our fingers can freeze on the shutter button.

Lou

[Goldwinger]

Nice work Jack.
Of course we're interested here!
I just got through watching a nature show on TV this weekend about Bald Eagles,
learned a few things too. Did you know that it takes 5 years for the fledgling to develop the white hood and tail feathers?

[jack55]

Originally Posted by a200user

Those are awesome Jack. I'd like to see more.

Jim

OK, you asked for it!

First Flight I
Last Saturday, coming home from Puyallup along a side road about 2 miles from out place, I saw these photographers along the side of the road and instantly knew they were seeing EAGLES! Stopped and sure enough, taking pics of an eagles nest that had two babies in it that were about to leave the next. DANG! I wished I'd seen this a few weeks ago.
Anyways, I ran home and got my camera and have been back at both days between 7-8:30pm, (best time for lighting on nest). The mother that I saw only once, the first day minus a camera is a BEAUTY. But she is on the hill behind us refusing to feed the babies, instead calling them to fly out of the next. I was lucky enough last night, (none of the others photographers were there, maybe the 4th?) to see one of the babies make his/her first flight! The second series it was almost dark, so it is only a silhouette. On that one, the baby was flying to his parents somewhere behind me. The other one refuses to leave the next still. None of these are really good enough to post though. I'll go back the next day to see if I can get lucky and see the mother/father. You know me... I'm persistent, like the Blue Jay series, I won't quit until I get the mother and/or father.

None of these guys were there for the first flight I got last night. Must have been 4th partying. Not me!


The distance I had to shoot.


The two big babies in the nest.


The parent was calling them from behind me somewhere in the trees and refusing to bring them food.
First flight out of nest.


Looking toward his/her parents behind me in trees...


20 minutes later, second flight toward parents. The sun was gone. Best I could do.



First Flight II
Here are some shots from Sunday. I'm still waiting to get the Bald Eagle parents in flight. I blew a great opportunity yesterday of the parent flying low with some food, I was looking up, not level and then it was too late, "now you see it, now you don't". I won't next miss next time. The second baby is now out of the nest.

The parent was setting in a tree way back behind me, calling the baby to her.
so lighting was so-so, I had to full zoom and crop a lot to get this one:


First flight for second baby... looks like a beginner. LOL.


Calling for Mama! "Look Mama! I did it!"




I know these aren't the best pictures, but in situations like this, you take what you get and learn from it. It only happens once a year. My best shots were yesterday in my first post at the top.

[Goldwinger]

Well Jack, I think you did pretty good considering what you had to contend with! Looks like they were quite a distance away.
I think I would have been tempted to use my camera to knock those 3 guys out... grab the Canon/500mm on the Wimberly there in the middle of the pack... and run like heck!

PS. flying is the easy part, its the landing that take some practice!

[a200user]

Awesome series. Thanks for posting parts I and II.

The guy to the right side in photo #1 must believe that size really doesn't matter.

Jim

[Trojansoc]

Fantastic series. We get bald eagles in Arkansas only in the dead of winter, and there are very few documented cases of eagles choosing to nest here, so I envy you the opportunity.

I like the shot of the photographers mobbing for the best shooting angles...lets you know there are a lot more like us out there, lol.

Paul