A Few days off & some Bald Eagles

Well I took a little vacation time off from the real $$ gig to hang out with my daughter, well at least for one day! Monday was a shopping day and other activities together but today, she thought it more fun to have a friend over and then go to grandma's later in the PM today (3/25) so I was left on my own for a few hours. Dad time was only a few hours today.

So I loaded up some gear and headed to Minto-Brown park and got out along the path that goes along side the Willamette River. Water was down enough so it was dry and very passable on foot or bike. The reason to go there is there is a nesting pair of Bald Eagles that are on the West side of the River but it is private property so to try and get close from that side is not very easy. So I go to the park and watch them and try to get some shots of the big majestic birds!

The shot included is not that good but it gives you some perspective of how big a nest might be! You see the one eagle perched on a branch outside the nest, and if you can barely see it there is another head just above the nest [click the picture and should make it fill a the window]. I am hoping they have laid their eggs and are now in the process of getting some new eagles to be around in a few months?! I was using my biggest lens a Sigma 125-400, shot at 1/180 of sec., f/8.0....did I say I was reaching as far as my lens would take me? This shot is actually cropped in so there is a lot more extraneous stuff in the original. My distance was approximately 175+ yards from my point to them.

Overall it was good to be out watching the river flow by, see the eagles and talk to some other folks that were also checking out the birds.

Then came home, picked up the daughter at Grandma's and shot some hoops in the driveway. Not a bad way to burn up the last day of vacation!

Thanks for reading, Tim -