Bird Photography

[kodiaksalmon 0]

Well of course I wasn't there, and magyver will give us the story, but living in Alaska, I can tell you I've never seen a "feeding station." They flock like that to.....well....dumpsters, landfill, docks, parking lots where they can get fed. They'll sit and congregate in alot of populated places, and if you've ever been to Homer for instance, you'll see 140+ birds perched and congregating on the spit. Dutch is the same way.

 

I'll never lose my love for eagles, but you quickly come to realize that in populated areas, they're little more than sea gulls with talons. The first time you see an eagle hop out of a dumpster with a McDonald's bag in his beak, well......they're just adapting to the environment around them.

[LFF 0]

I see. Never really thought that may be the case. Dont really associate eagles with landfill sites. Just a sad endightment of our world really. However if it helps them thrive then some good comes from it. Here in the UK there has been re-introductions of a couple of bird species one of which is the Red Kite. There is a farm in Wales that actually feeds the birds every day with chicken drumsticks. I have seen upwards of a 100 birds there. They travel huge distances to get there. Amazing sight. BUT I still have never got a great photo of them!!!

[kodiaksalmon 0]

Yep. Bears too. The "majestic" Kodiak brown bear is most often seen eating out of dumpsters, and if you want a good pic of one you go out to the dump and wait for evening.

 

Don't get me wrong, you still see eagles catching fish, and eating rabbits and all that. But driving through town you'll see them perched on dumpsters and light poles outside Burger King waiting for them to dump out that day's uneaten burgers and fries, or down at the dock waiting for fishermen to dump their fish carcasses so they can go pick them up.

[Frogfish 0]

The easier it is for them to get fed, the easier it is to survive...

[kodiaksalmon 0]

Yeah, up to the point where they're shot because they've become problem bears. They used to transplant them be default....now they shoot them. Transplanting doesn't work very well for several reasons.

[Peterjay 0]

I'll never lose my love for eagles, but you quickly come to realize that in populated areas, they're little more than sea gulls with talons.

 

:hyst: Yeah, it's a sad fact that the symbol of the U.S.A. is a scavenger and an opportunist even in wild areas. I've always thought more highly of the golden eagle, though we don't see them very often in the Northeast. When we lived in Boise, I used to go down to the Birds of Prey Natural Area along the Snake River canyon and if I was lucky, I'd get to see a golden hunting for ground squirrels, etc. Watching those huge birds maneuver through the sagebrush like some kind of cruise missile was something I'll never forget. The baldy was chosen for the National Seal more for its looks than anything else. Benjamin Franklin was pretty upset about that development and had plenty to say on the issue:

 

"For my part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character, and does not make his living honestly. . . . With all this injustice, he is never a good case, but, like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor. Besides, he is a rank coward, the little Kingbird, not bigger than a sparrow, attacks him boldly, and drives him from the district."

 

 

[magyver 0]

Well of course I wasn't there, and magyver will give us the story, but living in Alaska, I can tell you I've never seen a "feeding station." They flock like that to.....well....dumpsters, landfill, docks, parking lots where they can get fed. They'll sit and congregate in alot of populated places, and if you've ever been to Homer for instance, you'll see 140+ birds perched and congregating on the spit. Dutch is the same way.

 

I'll never lose my love for eagles, but you quickly come to realize that in populated areas, they're little more than sea gulls with talons. The first time you see an eagle hop out of a dumpster with a McDonald's bag in his beak, well......they're just adapting to the environment around them.

 

 

Hello Peterjay :headbang: , I would tell you a story but it would not be true lol. I had gotten these pics from a friend of mine showing that the American Eagle is making it's come back. These were taken in Alaska not sure where. I wish I had more info, I was not aware that you had to take the pics yourself . I just figured everyone would like to see the American Bald Eagle because in some areas it's a rare site to see.

 

Robert NW :yahoo:

[Will Milne 0]

My humble addition to the thread-

 

some Manitoba Pelican portraits-

 

 

and

 

 

Will

[Mokai 0]

Those are great Will..

[Wulff 0]

The bald by nature is opportunistic and a scavenger, I don't know quite why people get upset when they find out it not some nobel predator.Homer is famous world wide for photogpahing them from the deck of some ladies house. Also if Im not mistaken the cry you often hear in movies/shows/commercials etc is that of a Red Tail Hawk and that the Bald makes quite a different sound. I know anytime ive heard them is more a peep.

 

Personally I think its a fine symbol and its nature (scavenger) has little to do with the "Freedom" its supposed to represent and not some fierce killer of weak prey .

 

Hell what does the Beaver (ours)represent?????

A buck toothed slightly overweight couch potato?

 

 

Oh and nice pics Will

[troutgeek 0]

Here's a female goldfinch on takeoff. Taken with my new 85mm 1.8, no PP.

 

 

[Ashby 0]

Wow, what a shot. It looks like a little angel on your deck. Very nice shot.

 

Ashby

[troutgeek 0]

I was actually trying to get a picture of a red-breasted grosbeak, and this little lady landed right next to me. Humming birds should be coming soon.

[Mokai 0]

Here is a Snowy Egret from last week...