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Juvenile Bald Eagle Preparing for Flight

Image # 1D2_04240

Near West Entrance, Yellowstone National Park

 

Canon 600L/f4 IS

ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/2000 second

Manual Exposure

Gitzo 1325/Arca Swiss B1/Wimberley Sidekick

 

I came back later in the day, hoping for additional opportunities to shoot the adult Bald Eagle in flight. I spent a couple of hours waiting, to no avail. I did keep an eye on the nest, however, and got a sequence of shots showing one of the juveniles practising for flight. It did hover briefly in the air, likely being one of the first times it became airborne. I included this because of the relative uniqueness of the moment, rather than the quality of the image! (There was another photographer who joined me in the wait for the adult. When I finally had to leave, I told him that this should bring him luck, and predicted that the adult should be around shortly. I ran into him later at the Old Faithful Inn Lodge restaurant, and much to my chagrin, learned that the adult did indeed return about 5 or 10 minutes after I left, with great light! Naturally...)