Mississippi dam #14, near Le Claire, Iowa, is my favorite spot to watch and photograph Bald Eagles in the winter. I have been there several times this season and always got skunked. It seemed, that the clouds were always just waiting for my arrival, and as soon I had my tripod in place they moved in front of the best light source we have. Taking pictures of birds against grey sky just sucks.
1/1500s, f6.3, -1/2 EV, ISO 100, 420mm (630mm FX), spot metering, shutter priority
Finally last Sunday I got awarded for driving down south the usual hour and a half. The blue sky gave the water a very vibrant color and of course, was perfect for shooting eagles in flight.
It is so much fun to watch especially the juveniles hunting for fish. Some of them have still a lot to learn because they drop them quite often. If it was a dead fish, that someone had thrown in the water, the photographers got a second chance to capture the moment when the young eagles tried to grab it. I'm like these young Bald Eagles. I'm happy to have this second chance since some of my pictures are still out of focus.
1/1500s, f6.3, -1/2 EV, ISO 100, 320mm (480mm FX), spot metering, shutter priority
However, in comparison to last year I have many more keepers on the memory card. There are reasons for. First, I'm using a gimbal head on the tripod instead shooting with a ball head. Huge difference! It is much easier to track the birds in flight. Second, I have watched the eagles many times and learned so much more about their behavior. Yep, even the days with overcast were time well spent at the river. The movements of the Bald Eagles seem to become more predictable for me and that helps to be prepared for what 's coming next. This little extra second gives time enough to correct the EV or change the focal length slightly.
1/1000s, f6.3, -1/2 EV, ISO 100, 420mm (630mm FX), spot metering, shutter priority
This picture was taken in the very late afternoon sun. You can tell by the color of the water. Did this guy get the fish? You bet!