AT THE OPEN WATER

Bald Eagle, Mississippi River, Bellevue, Iowa

The people that live here in the Upper Mississippi Valley know if you like to see Bald Eagles during these very cold temperatures, you have to visit the places with open water. Since the big river is almost everywhere covered with ice, you can find the eagles mostly below the locks & dams that enable the boat traffic during the warm season and are placed about every 30 miles in the Mississippi River.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

I went to Lock & Dam #12 in Bellevue today and found more than a dozen Bald Eagles soaring above the water and hunting for fish. It took a little patience and a long focal length (840 mm) to get them in the viewfinder. The sun came out for a little bit and made for nice afternoon light. At -15ºC / 5ºF warm clothes, warm boots, and gloves are mandatory if you want to have fun and enjoy the photography of these majestic birds…

REMEMBERED: SHOOT IT NOW!

Mississippi River, Dam #12, Bellevue, Iowa

In his book “It’s Not About The F-Stop” much admired photographer Jay Maisel says, Never go back. Shoot it now, When you come back, it will always be different. This came to mind today on my way back home from a trip along the Mississippi River. While slowly driving through the town of Bellevue, IA, I saw out of the corner of my eye this scene, the dam painted with gorgeous golden light. For a second I thought, maybe another time, I’m tired, I want to go home. I have done that at other occasions and always regretted my decision because it wasn’t the same at another time later. Today I made the U-turn, changed the lens, and zoomed with my feet in order to keep branches, lamp posts, and other annoying objects out of the frame. Any time I go to the Green Island Wetlands or other locations to the south along the river, I always look briefly at the dam #12 in Bellevue, but never had experienced such a warm light on the structure. There is only a short period of time every year when the point of sunset almost lines up with the dam.

In addition, it’s warm here, the snow from last week is mostly gone, and the Mississippi has open water even above the dams. Maybe my photo helps to tell this story too…?