Birds of Prey

One of the first items that I had on my photography bucket list was to capture a bald eagle in the wild. I have always been captivated by the beauty of bald eagle. I spent years trying to just capture my first recognizable photo of a bald eagle. I had taken pictures of them as specks way off in the distance and one where you could just barely make out ones head sitting in her nest. For the longest time, I would walk and watch near there nests and areas they would hunt and would either miss them fly by or watch them fly the other way.

It was a fluke the first time I captured one on camera. I was actually on my way to a park that had a Bald Eagle in a cage and as I was at an intersection in the left turn lane I saw one fly by and head off to my right. I immediately turned right out of the left turn lane and followed in the direction it was heading along a river. I drove a little way down the road and did not see the eagle. I pulled off the side of the road and got my camera out of my trunk with my 170-500mm on it and set it in the passenger seat. I decided to head back toward where I came from and look closer along the river and see if I could spot the eagle. I happen to catch it perched in a tree and there was a pull off for me to park. I was able to quickly get out of the car and snap a couple shots. I didn't have time to check any settings or anything and got a few OK photos but I finally captured one.

Once I finally caught one on camera it seemed like I have had a few more opportunity to take photos of eagles. I had on fly and circle over me while on a photo walk. Another time I watched one as I left a park fly and perch up in a tree along a field off the road.

This time I went to a place where they took care of rescued raptors and was able to photograph different birds of prey up close and personal during there open house. I went to the Michigan Avian Experience just outside of Brooklyn, MI. They had an open house where they showed there birds and their staff members were ready to answer any questions you may have about the birds or how they take care of them.

It was an awesome experience. You could walk right up to there enclosures and literally be face to face with the different birds. The first bird I saw was a broad wing hawk. The broad wing hawk was shy and hiding in its box and only came out once the whole time I was there.

Then the bald eagle was in a large enclosure. She sat at one corner on a perk. She posed majestically and would occasionally let out an Eagle cackle. If you think and eagle sounds like what you have always heard on TV you are mistaken. The call you hear on TV that is normally associated with Eagles is actually a red tailed hawk. Bet you didn't know that. Take that knowledge and store it for a rainy day. While I took photos of her she would almost pose for me allowing me to get photos of here looking at me and away from me to either side.

Then the great horned owl was in the next enclosure that as I walked around and the first time I visited her enclosure she was on the ground and just talking up a storm. After a few times around the enclosures she eventually got more active and flew around he enclosure and perched on different spots.

Then in the enclosure next to the horned owl was a barred owl. I have photographed one in the wild before in a park outside of Holland, Mi. This one was a very active and comfortable with all the attention she was getting. She was not afraid to fly to a perch just a foot away from where you could stand. It allowed me to get right up and close and capture some really nice photos of her. She did not have a problem with you there as long as you didn't make quick movements.

After the barred owl, I came around and they had there red tailed hawk out of its enclosure allowing you to walk right up to it with out fencing between you and them. This made it a lot easier to capture some quality photos. With the other birds in the enclosures I had found the best way to photograph "through" the fence was to rest the barrel of my lens on the fence and then focus on the bird. This would essentially eliminate the fence in the photo most of the time.

When you first walk up the first enclosure you saw had a Golden Eagle in it. I took a few photos of the Golden Eagle but never managed to capture anything worth posting.

Another bird they took out was a Kestral. That I managed to snap a couple of decent photos. They also at the end of there open house brought the Bald Eagle outside of the enclosure and taught us about the bird and had her spread her wings.