Fledgeling Bald Eagle In The High Desert

Fledgeling Bald Eagle In The High Desert




Meet this young Bald Eagle who lives at this time in the High Desert of Oregon!



This youngster was photograph at a spot we like to go to. Being this time of the year this area was quiet of people. The dirt road was ..... well lets just say not sure how one would even go on it without four wheel drive or a high wheel base? Maintaining roads all year around is expensive, and visitors just do not care to camp etc. in winter time. With this said, if you are going to visit our area in the winter time and go on these dirt roads just keep in mind this k! Stay on the pavement, it is safe.

Why at 4am this morning I choose to have this as a blog post of the day? Well someone mentioned the Bald Eagles as we were chatting in twitter. The Bald Eagle has made a remarkable bounce back in numbers! Native wildlife is important and people need to pay more attention to what we have right here in our own backyards! Exotic wildlife is great and all, however if everyone on this planet would pay more attention to the special creatures in their own backyard I feel the critters would be better off, globally.

As well as having these shots from gosh a couple weeks ago, the Warms Springs Eagle Watch just took place! I think the activity there on the Warm Springs land is something I support! Even though I or we do not care for crowds of people it is still a great learning activity for people of all ages to learn and perhaps see the Eagles in their natural environment? If you are so inclined places have been known to bring Eagles for folks to get a close up view and to take controlled photographs so you do not have to waste your time and gas finding them in the wild as I or we do.



This young Bald Eagle was doing more then just paying attention to us. The adults were, "talking", back and forth with each other. One of the adults I got a series of shots of, while the other was further down the canyon where it is several miles hike into which was not in our plans of the day.



The youngsters behavior is interesting. As if the youngsters just dont know what to do. I  or we have run into many youngsters of different ages here and all of them show this behavior of sitting still. Older fledgelings may fly, however I am not interested in freaking out these youngsters. I will get some shots of them and walk away. This is what I did with this one.

You can see from the photographs the tree's you will find these Bald Eagles in. Frankly, they stick out like a soar thumb at this time of the year. Actually, all year around! The Bald Eagles are not as big as the Golden Eagle. However I have seen some pretty big female Bald Eagles! Females being the larger of the two.

I have a hard time with the Eagles at this stage of life. Several things I look for now a days when identifying the Bald Eagle fledgelings. Any white that is not consistent with the Golden Eagle.



Even though I really do not like the shot above, the shot helps me with identifying the youngster. Though heck I am no expert! I just take photographs.....



This shot was of the adult near by. Pointing one way was the youngster, the other way was this adult. This spot has became the place to come for Eagles. Both species! In the background in that shot is Warm Springs Oregon. That is tribal land. Some day that tree is going to fall, some day haha!



I had to really look for the advertisement of the Eagle Watch, finally found it at The Cove Rattler , if you are interested in our area it really is something to check out. They write their blog from down the road about what else? The Cove! Go shoo check out their site!

Keep in mind, every nook and cranny has a name! Everywhere I go again, has a name. I do not give the names of everywhere I get my photographs. However if you do check out their site and you keep up with my photography you may just see familiar areas that will dawn on you, so that is where she got that photograph! If you want to read more about me you can find that on my about me page.

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photographs and my blog! Today is a interesting day for we have to be in Bend later on..... So I will be around on the computer, until I am not! Hope you have a great Monday!

Golden Eagle Landing

Mrsroadrunner Photography | Golden Eagle Landing




Meet the biggest eagle we have in North America, the Golden Eagle!

I photographed this Golden Eagle at a coyote kill in one of the most active places for such things, the nearest town of Post Oregon. This is another area where most of the land is farmed or ranched why so much wildlife activity.

The Golden Eagle is landing just right for a photograph on a hill, why the talons are out, back feathers and wings spread. The Golden Eagle was screaming at me for it did not appreciate the interference at meal time.

Some folks do not know that the Eagle both the species found here the Golden Eagle and the Bald Eagles are scavengers. They will stop at any meal that has passed away even if they themselves have not killed the meal themselves. It is good to listen to the ravens that typically are very good at finding such things and calling in the others, if you listen, fallow the ravens ....... sometimes other creatures are there as well! Including the Eagles!

Eagle Being Attacked by Hawks

Mrsroadrunner Photography | Eagle Being Attacked by Hawks




Our town we have quite a few larger birds of prey, as the photograph taken above of the red tailed hawk which is one of a series of photographs of the bird eating.

This short series of photographs is of a eagle being attacked by the local hawks on my walk one day. I admit I heard the commotion before I actually seen anything AND the photographs are not anything that could be a stand alone photograph for they were a distance away.

Where the Eagle is perched and being attacked at is one of my stops on my walk. Many animals are photographed at this spot and the farmer is pretty neat guy and knows this! I had to get permission to be on the land to take these and the other photographs.





Even though I was on foot and no way I could do anything but stop and watch from where I was at I do believe the eagle is one of our Golden Eagles due to the head not being white. However, the eagle could have been a young Bald Eagle. We have both the Golden Eagle and the Bald Eagles here. The Golden Eagles are larger, more dark then white.

The photographs above is a Red Tailed hawk attacking. Their was two Red tails and at least one harrier involved in running what they must consider a threat to their hunting grounds off.



Lake Billy Chinook which I call the "canyon", and the Warm Springs Eagle Watch is not very far away. The eagles fly through here stopping and some fly over the house to go east to other hunting grounds then back to the canyon.

I also notice quite a few folks do not realize that eagles are scavengers, they will eat road kill. Hence seeing eagles around this part of Oregon near roads. Or roads that are considered "back roads", paved or not.





If you have ever been directly yelled at by the eagles, or heard the zip of the hawks diving at you and hearing them screaming at you - you can just imagine what I was hearing while this was going on! That is Mount Jefferson you see a little in the photograph to the right.

When I do not bring my telephoto lens is when I need it and when I bring it I dont need it..... dont figure!



This eagle was clearly not wanted here. To bad I did not start off earlier so I would be further along in my walk. Though I was just photographing a harrier hunting and they are very interesting to watch! Come to think of it this area did have a fire. After this fire which I am so bumbed out about for it burned down a tree the harriers liked to land in, the owners of this land got a lot more pro active of who is on their land which they should be!



The ponds that are in this direction have fish in them, the Osprey hunt the fish on this farm at other times of the year.

By the time I get to that electrical pole the Eagle is on , typically everyone knows I am there! Thanks to the big mouth Magpies usually!! The scrub jays are big mouths as well. These two species of birds typically have to tell on me every dang time! The hawks both Red Tails and the Harriers typically do flybys which are not a huge deal for they keep their mouths shut at least ha! Red tail hawks typically do not come as low as the Harriers to check me out, however the Red Tail Hawks as the first photograph will show they tend to give me some nice photographs and do not take off on me when I do catch up to them perched somewhere. Harriers are just curious and since they hunt by hearing and by eye site they want to see what you are kicking up as you walk.

We also have the Ravens on my walk. Ravens are ravens and they have gotten pretty darn close to me as well! Though they are usually busy elsewhere and dont seam all that curious as to why I am taking my walk. There are barns, holding facilities to the left of this photograph that is on the rail line. Must be better things there for the Ravens to eat?

The owls are also found in those trees down there as well as the shorter trees that you can not see in the above shot anyhoo..... The Harons , racoons , coyotes, rock chucks, mule deer, several species of ducks, lots of song birds, smaller birds and a lot more wildlife is in this area as well. The neighbors out here have seen me and either grin or wave. Unless I am directly on someones property.... and my camera is hard to hide. There is a road behind the trees and such in the photograph above. Just a dirt road, there really is a road haha!

I explained to Guy before where I would be using the road, I promised the farmer I would not have any vehicles or even my dogs with me while on their land. Just in case Guy ever needs to find me for some unknown reason or if I dont come home before night time come looking for me! I typically tell the son I am going here or there.....



I am a little closer at the point. There is a waterline road I take. Well road might be giving what that is to much credit? The farmer and his people use it for the waterline, the pump house.... just a grassy area they drive on when and if they need to get to this part of the farm.

Last time I was down here, new fences were being put in and some other work was being done for planting it looked like to me? The mule deer are a huge problem for the farmers to keep them out around here. Mule deer are pretty and all, but they eat EVERYTHING. Imagine a horse going through your garden you have in your backyard. Sure there is more land here that some of these farmers have but you get the point.



This is the last photographs I am going to show.... this went on and on. Finally the eagle took off to the east. Across hwy 97 where there is good hunting out that direction for the birds of prey. Come to think of it, there is a spot out there I like Guy to drive me too. Many companies have land in our area, with vacation homes or what not. Though some of these places I would love to see the inside of the homes , real nice! Anyhoo, one of these places has designated the land as wildlife habitat NO HUNTING allowed the signs say. The place I am thinking of, I have photographed several eagles there. Without trespassing. I give the owners kudos ! They do have a nice setup out there! Private airport strip and all, the wildlife really like that place! Meaning I like it too!!

Thank you for coming by and seeing what photographs I did get of this experience! Being on foot and all!

Wild Golden Eagle

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Oregon

I like birds, always have. You will find I have many shots of birds of all kinds.

This golden eagle was a character. First sighting of a golden eagle in the canyon for the both of us here.

I noticed the tree he was perched in just did not look right. We were coming up out of the canyon where we were watching the Bald Eagles fish.

This golden eagle did come out of no where to check us and the dogs out. Of course my camera was set up for the bald eagles..... This golden eagle really did startle us!

This is the first photograph I got of him,

Guy got the dogs into the truck so they would not follow me and I got this

This golden eagle was so comfortable with me there taking his photograph Guy thought he would come closer as well. Well, sorry to say this is when the eagle noticed him. See his posture stiffening up?

It has been my experience with these wild birds, specially the birds of prey that once they take this stance..... they are going take off flying. Now one thing that happens a lot is when the bird of prey takes off they try hard to get behind something. The tree they are perching on, or the telephone pole or something they try to hide behind. Not all the time is there anything to hide behind in our part of Oregon. This behavior I am to the point I am just waiting for it to happen.

The Golden Eagle was no different. At this point it would have done me no good to ask Guy to get back. The eagle had made up it's mind. I was fine, but for some reason Guy was not? This to me was interesting. I do not know how much closer I could have gotten to this Golden Eagle before he took off?? We will never know. But this is ok in my book for there will always be more eagles, more hawk more birds of prey.

So here are the shots of the Golden Eagle flying off at the link above.

Pair Of Bald Eagles

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photographs,photo... | Gather

Pair Of Bald Eagles. The one on the left is paying attention to the dogs and Guy.

A Couple Of Bald Eagles Sitting In A Tree

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photographs,photo... | Gather

A Couple Of Bald Eagles Sitting In A Tree. The one on the right hand side was real apprehensive. I feel it was the female? Was the first one to fly off as well.

Bald Eagle

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photographs,photo... | Gather

Bald Eagle. This is one of the pair of bald eagles we seen today. Something about the Bald Eagle that symbolizes freedom.

Bold Eagle taking a quick break, before I new it he was gone!

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photography... | Gather

Bold Eagle taking a quick break, before I new it he was gone!

Leading The Way

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photography... | Gather

Leading The Way. We ran into a elk herd Saturday. The elk were being followed by this bird, which I think is one of the many eagles we had seen that day.

Eagle Landing

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photography... | Gather

Eagle Landing. This golden eagle did not pick a good spot to land! The branch was not holding his weight real well.