Uprooted Magnolia

Eagle by the Bridge

Posted in Nature, Photography, The Ranch, Wildlife by leahyetter on March 7, 2011

There was a light snow falling last Friday morning and I was sitting at my desk with a warm cup of coffee when Patrick called. He said to jump on the four wheeler and head down to the bridge with my camera. An eagle has been perched there since the crack of dawn he said. I figured he’d be gone before I could get on the 5 layers of clothing required for riding in the snow but to my surprise, he was still there. He took flight not long after I arrived.

He landed on a limb way down the river. Can you see him in the distance there?

But I captured this image before he took flight.

I think out of all my shots while out here in the wild west, I am most proud of this portrait above and of the one in flight. Just look at his eyes. The sharp talons. And that beak. I had a hard time focusing because the snow was coming down pretty fast but I persisted. And he was hunting. Turning his head all around waiting for his next meal to come along. It was a difficult shoot and I was so happy to come home with these results.
I hope you like them too.


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30 Responses

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  1. WhatLolitaEats said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:22 am

    These are stunning!

    • leahyetter said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:47 am

      Thank you Lisa! He was a stunning sight. I finally got a closeup! Been wanting that for a while now.

  2. Nancy said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:23 am

    Beautiful, Miss Leah! You are amazing.

    • leahyetter said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:46 am

      Thanks Nancy! I have to give props to Patrick. He’s kept his sharp eyes open wide for strong shots for me to capture. He’s really getting into this photography thing. ;-)

  3. Laura Thek said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:24 am

    SPECTACULAR!! I can only IMAGINE seeing such a sight!! Thank you for sharing the moment with us!!

    • leahyetter said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:45 am

      Thank you Laura! He was watching me pretty hard the whole time and I kept shooting. He was certainly a spectacular sight to see!!

  4. Victoria Bennett Beyer said, on March 7, 2011 at 8:53 am

    Wow wow wow!

  5. Jim said, on March 7, 2011 at 9:05 am

    Nice Photos I like the in-flight look over the shoulder.

    • leahyetter said, on March 7, 2011 at 9:14 am

      Thanks Jim! Yeah, he did not take his eye off of me very much at all.

  6. bagnidilucca said, on March 7, 2011 at 10:14 am

    Amazing photos. I love the one on the wing.

  7. Mike Moruzi said, on March 7, 2011 at 11:17 am

    Yep, the last one is outstanding. Crisp, well composed. And, of course, beautiful subject.

  8. Mary said, on March 7, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    Bald and beautiful! Love the photos!

    • leahyetter said, on March 7, 2011 at 3:38 pm

      Thank you Mary! Now that should have been the title:Bald and Beautiful!

  9. melissakoski said, on March 7, 2011 at 6:49 pm

    Leah these are amazing. I love that Patrick is looking out for your interests and called…glad your cowboy is so sweet. I have two pairs of loose fitting pants and two wool sweaters next to my coat for speedy take offs. (: The five layer bit was funny and relatable.

    The last is my favorite. It convey’s the eagle’s strength so clearly. It’s easy to imagine it tearing a small mammal apart looking at those talons (and cold eyes)!

    Way to go Leah. My daughter just caught a peek and was blown away that you even see bald eagles. We’re impressed.

    • leahyetter said, on March 8, 2011 at 9:10 am

      Thank you to you and your daughter! We are seeing bald eagles a lot out here these days and I guess it’s because they are constantly hunting, looking for the next meal, and then the next. And with the bare trees and bald (overcast) sky, they are easy to spot. And Patrick has great eyes. I tell him often “you could track a feather across a tin roof”! Thank you again Melissa!

  10. wherewander said, on March 7, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    they are really amazing shots!!!

  11. carol denham said, on March 7, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    Once again Leah, you have captured the true meaning of living in Wyoming! Such beauty it takes my breath away! Thank you for sharing!!!

    • leahyetter said, on March 8, 2011 at 9:05 am

      Thank you Carol my dear! So glad you like this one. Want me to frame these for you now? ;-) J/K
      I should have your order shipped to you soon!

  12. melissa890 said, on March 8, 2011 at 6:18 am

    Omg!! Gorgeous , breathtaking spiritual

  13. Cindy said, on March 8, 2011 at 8:17 am

    Some of the best of Wyoming…Love them.
    Cindy

  14. Hunted « Uprooted Magnolia said, on March 8, 2011 at 8:59 am

    [...] couple days after my morning with the Bald and Beautiful (thanks Mary!), I took a walk down by the river. It’s so peaceful there and I was looking for [...]

  15. [...] secretive and such loners. Maybe I’ll get as close as this some other [...]

  16. Lenore Diane said, on February 27, 2013 at 7:45 am

    How did I miss this when you posted it the first time? What an amazing (and apparently ‘rare’) capture, Leah. Beautiful and majestic.

  17. masterbias said, on March 29, 2013 at 11:45 pm

    Wow. I don’t think I have seen a better Bald Eagle photo than the one you have here with him perched. So many seem cliche to me for some reason.. or maybe it’s just how they are used. It’s snowing in the photo right?

  18. masterbias said, on March 29, 2013 at 11:45 pm

    And how did you get so close? Were you in a blind?

  19. masterbias said, on March 29, 2013 at 11:46 pm

    Sorry about asking whether it was snowing when you obviously said that it was.


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