Spring Babies!

Besides producing lovely blooms, spring is also a time when many animals bear their young. February starts with the song of birds trying to attract a mate, and by April lots of babies begin to appear in the local parks and nature areas.

Three baby eaglets!

My neighbor and photo-mentor Cheri knew of an eagle's nest at a state park in Central Oregon.  A pair of bald eagles return here every year to breed and rear their young.  Hearing that the couple had recently hatched three eaglets, we both wanted to go and check it out.

Protecting her baby

Cheri and I got up really early one April morning for the 3 hour drive.  Luckily, the weather was good and we arrived in no time.  Then we walked a short distance from the parking lot to where we could see the nest.

Feeding the little guys

Although the nest is high in a tree, it can be viewed at eye level from the rim of an adjacent cliff.

"Mom!"

Not long after our arrival, one of the parents flew into the nest bearing a recently killed animal.  The other adult eagle that had been sitting at the nest (I assumed it was the mother) immediately began tearing apart the critter and feeding to to her young.

The best photo I got of all three eaglets

Three tiny, gray fluffy heads popped up from the nest.  One eaglet was a bit larger than the others.  I learned that the first egg had hatched a little over a week ago, the second three days later, and the third three days after that.  So one of the eaglets was practically brand new!

A mother's love

It was sweet to watch the mother eagle feed and nurture her babies.  We stayed for about three hours, before the action died down.  A very special morning indeed!  (A huge thanks for Cheri for driving the entire way there and back.)

Mama hummingbird feeding her baby

Of course, eaglets are not the only babies around my home.  A nearby park that features a small lake (affectionally nicknamed "the duck pond") is always a good place to spot goslings and ducklings in the spring.

Gosling flapping its tiny wings

When I'm walking around the "duck pond," my camera with its huge zoom lens always attracts attention.  Many times people will see my camera setup and generously share their bird sightings.  One April morning a man who had noticed my big white lens told me of a hummingbird nest he'd spotted in a nearby tree.  The guy took me over to the tree and pointed to a tiny nest hidden in a branch overhanging the paved pathway.

Gosling eating

As the man and I were peering at this sweet, moss-lined home, who should fly in but the mother hummer!  A wee orange beak rose from the nest and I witnessed the mama hummingbird feeding her young.  Lucky for me, I already had my camera focused and was able to capture this sweet moment.

Goose family going for a swim

After watching the mother hummer for a bit, she finally flew away in search of more food for her  baby.  I tore myself away and continued my walk around the pond.  Baby goslings were everywhere and I spent the remainder of the morning capturing hundreds of images of these cute, fluffy youngsters.

Goofy gosling

There were three goose families with young.  After feeding on shore for a bit, all three groups headed towards the water for a swim.  The sun came out and I was able to get some great shots of the goslings gliding through the water with their folks.

Tiny duckling

There's another nature area within walking distance my house.  When my hubby works from home, he sometimes walks there during his lunch break.  The same day my hubby returned from his outing to report he'd spotted a brood of ducklings in the park.  Of course, I quickly grabbed my camera and headed over there.

Beating a hasty retreat

Sure enough, I found the mother and ducklings swimming around a small stream lined with tall grasses.  Unfortunately for me, once mama duck saw my huge zoom lens, she hustled her babies into the grass-lined shore, hiding them from my sight.  I was able to grab just a few good images before the ducklings disappeared.

"Here we come!"

A couple of weeks later, I was back at the duck pond with my camera.  There were more goslings, some that had grown out of their cute, fluffy stage and another brood of newborns.  Hearing some pitiful-sounding peeping, I noticed two ducklings swimming by themselves in the middle of the pond.  It appeared they'd become separated from their family.  I was able to get some photos of these adorable little guys, but I was concerned that if they didn't soon find their family, these ducklings would become food for a predator.  (I know it's the "circle of life" and all, but sadly, this happens much more frequently than I'd like to admit.)

This little guy lost his mother

It was another good spring of baby bird photography.  I'm lucky to have the plethora of parks and natural areas nearby.  Not only flowers, spring brings a lot of great photography subjects to my area!

Winter Birds of Sauvie Island

At the confluence of Oregon's Willamette and Columbia Rivers lies Sauvie Island.  It's the largest island along the Columbia River, and at 26,000 acres, one of the largest river islands in the United States.  Although farms dot the lowlands here, a large area of this island is also designated as a wildlife refuge.  In the winter, many bird species migrate and spend several months here.  For wildlife photographers such as my neighbor Cheri, it's a great place to find photo subjects.

Young bald eagle

 

A mid-January break in the weather provided the perfect opportunity to check out the wildlife, and Cheri invited me to accompany her on a visit to the island.  A frequent visitor, she knew all the good places to spot birds.  As we traveled down the island's main road, she made sure to stop at every one.  At the first overlook, we spotted a bunch of juvenile bald eagles.

Lovely scenery on the island

Cheri is so knowledgeable about the birds she photographs.  From Cheri, I learned that bald eagles retain brown feathers for 5 years before getting their distinctive white head.  (I also learned from Cheri that eagles and other birds poop right before alighting from their perches - handy to know if you're trying to capture an in-flight image!)

Sandhill cranes in flight

Driving a little further down the road, we came upon a large flock of sandhill cranes in a farmer's field.  Lucky us - the birds were very close.  As a matter of fact, so close we were able to shoot our photos from the car window.

A flock of cranes right by the road

I've come to enjoy watching these red-headed birds with their distinctive call.  Today some of the males were active - jumping up and down while flapping their wings.  I think they were trying to impress the ladies.

Foraging in a harvested field

Of course, the cranes quickly noticed our vehicle and didn't hang around long.  They slowly began sauntering farther and farther away, while foraging in the remains of a harvested field.

Thousands of snow geese flock to the island

Time to move on!  Our next stop was at a wooden observation structure.  This raised platform was constructed specifically for birdwatching, with views over a nearby body of water.  A very popular stop for waterfowl, we almost always spotted some type of bird hanging out here.

 

Snow geese in the sky

Today our luck was with us - an enormous flock of snow geese had taken up residence in the water right next to this platform.  

Taking advantage of some good light

The geese were so numerous they colored the ground and water white.  There must've been hundreds, if not thousands, of these waterfowl.  I don't know how they all fit into the water - it seemed like there were birds atop birds.  We kept spotting a few geese flying away and also a small number coming in for a landing.  Although the small groups were fun to photograph, Cheri was hoping for something to spook the entire flock so they'd all rise into the air en masse.  

Then a bald eagle flew by 

It wasn't long before we got our wish.  So intent on photographing the snow geese flock, we nearly missed a bald eagle flying by, so close he was practically under our noses!

This is what happens when a bald eagle flies by a flock of snow geese

Snow geese are a favorite snack of bald eagles, and this guy was intent on capturing one for lunch.  Once the eagle swooped by, the entire flock took to the sky in a noisy wing-beating, honking mass.  The birds were so thick, I don't know how they were able to fly and not run into each other.

Eagle now gone, the geese began to land

We couldn't tell if the eagle had a successful hunt or not.  He flew away before we had a chance to tell.  But once the danger had passed, the entire flock of snow geese began to land back into the same pond.  The huge number of birds landing was also quite a sight - one that was fun, but challenging (for me anyway) to photograph.  Oh well, practice is how I'll get better!  Cheri, who has photographed birds and other wildlife for years, does an outstanding job at catching animals in action.  My goal is to someday be as good as she is!

Sandhill cranes coming in for a landing

Our final stop for the day was at another farmer's field further down the road from the overlook.  Here Cheri spotted a second group of sandhill cranes.  Several cranes kept flying in to join their comrades.  I got plenty of practice capturing birds in flight, and even managed to get a few images that were actually in focus!  What I really liked about this location was the beautiful backdrop of gnarled oak trees and foggy fields.

Beautiful winter scenery

Not only is Sauvie Island a great place to photograph wildlife, it's also mighty scenic.  As we were finishing up, the sun peeked through the clouds, illuminating an adjacent forest with beautiful light.  A perfect way to end what had been an outstanding morning of photography!

Cheri's images can be viewed on her website: Cheri Kanaan Photography  I highly recommend checking it out.  If you see something you like, she also sells prints.

Eagles Nest

Sorry about my long absence from blogland.  I've been having too much fun enjoying my retirement freedom!  I'd rather be skiing or hiking than sitting at the computer recapping my adventures.  So everyone knows I haven't totally disappeared, here's a quick post about an eagles nest I had the good fortune to photograph last week.

Eagle watching her nest (can you spot the eaglet?)

It's well known that every year a pair of bald eagles nest in a lone pine tree at Central Oregon's Smith Rock State Park.  In late March their babies are born.  My neighbor Cheri has been travelling here annually to photograph the young eaglets.

Dinner time!

Last week I happened to be in Bend for a week of skiing.  Taking a break from the slopes due to high winds, I met Cheri and her friend at Smith Rock one day to check out the eagles nest.

Mama feeding her eaglets

I'd recently purchased a new camera - the Canon R6.  And I was also lucky enough to score a used 800mm RF lens.  Time to put my new equipment to work!

Sibling quarrel

We three ladies set up on the cliff rim overlooking the nest.  At first, the mother eagle (I think it was the mother anyway) just sat near the nest and we only got brief glimpses of the eaglet's heads peeking out.  But after a half hour, the mother flew away, and returned shortly with a squirrel in her talons.  Then the action began!

Feeding time for Junior

We watched mesmerized as the mother eagle tore up her catch and began offering pieces of it to her two eaglets.  The eaglets, heeding the call of the dinner bell, emerged from the nest and we could see their bodies fully.  The two babies jockeyed for their mother's beak, opening up their mouths in preparation to be fed.  It was an amazing sight to see.

"Hey, I want some of that!"

The little eaglet's clumsy moves were fun to watch.  They were about 4 weeks old at the time, with oversized beaks and feet in proportion to their fuzzy gray bodies.  The eaglets jostled for feeding position, pecked at each other, and tried to grab food from their sibling.  I spent an enjoyable couple of hours watching their antics.  And my new camera setup?  As you can see, it worked fabulously.

Iconic Smith Rock SP view

Eagle watching done, of course I couldn't leave Smith Rock State Park without capturing a few images of it's stunning scenery.  A great morning well spent in one of Oregon's crown jewels.

Here's a great video that local photographer George Lepp made of the Smith Rock Eagles Nest:  Smith Rock Eagles Nest video.