On Nov. 20, 2015, at the Ridgefield NWR, I spotted a large Bald Eagle on top of a tree that was over a thousand feet off the road at marker #11 on the auto tour route. I had been at the refuge for about six hours already and decided I would park and wait to see where and if, this immature bird would fly. Every once in a while the “sit and wait” approach pays off. After about a half hour, the bird takes off and flies directly toward me. As it got closer, I had the lens tracking it and tried staying with it as long as I could, shooting out the driver’s side window. A little dot in the distance became this picture in about 30 seconds of flight. Icing on the cake was that he’s looking at me. Every now and then the stars and planets align. Best viewed large.
Canon 7D Mark II, 1/1600, f4, ISO 500, 500mm, 1:56 pm
Super shot Dennis. What do they say, “patience is a virtue” – it paid off. I’d have given it about 20 minutes and then would have cursed myself to see it fly just after I’d driven off!
Thanks much, Tony! The chances of that bird flying over the front of my truck was pretty slim! Especially from that distance. It’s times like these that make it all worth it. And I’ve done exactly what you mentioned–too many times!