Bald Eagle chasing Osprey with fish

 Osprey, Bald Eagle and Scenic Shots from Willow Springs Lake - Canon 10D

Uploaded 10/3/07

 With the monsoon now over, a trip up to one of the most scenic lakes up on the top of the Mogollon Rim escarpment was in order, with my friend Vince. The afternoon was spent photographing the lake with pines and aspens lining the shoreline, rimmed by yellow slabs of Coconino sandstone, sometimes with fossil trackways of ancient reptiles in them. On the edge of one of the bays, we were treated by watching three or four huge ospreys circling for fish. One did dive into the water and grab a nice sized trout and headed for its nest. But a bald eagle wanted that fish too, and chased the osprey directly over our heads into the woods! I managed to get some shots with the 10D in burst mode and focus on AI Servo. Here are some highlights of the shots I got with the 10D that afternoon. 

Click on Thumbnails for 1290 x 960 size


A small valley empties
into the Lake in this
small bay.  17mm
 

The same scene with the 
8mm fish eye lens
 

The view in Infra Red
reveals a stark and almost
snowy looking landscape.
 

Looking back up the valley
toward the groves of tiny
aspen trees.  Fish eye
 

Straight up right in the
middle of the aspen trees
8mm fish eye
 

A lone violet flower in the
small valley  8mm
 

Cloud reflections in the 
water in the bay
 

Slab of Coconino sandstone
with 280 million year old
fossilized reptile tracks
 

Another very rare sighting:
the "Common Merganser"
with its brick red mane.
 

An Osprey circles overhead
searching for fish in the 
choppy water
 

Banking Osprey with
good wing details
 

This shows a great view
of their white belly
 

Flying directly towards us
 

Nice side presentation
with good wing detail
 

Start of the action: On the
far side of the lake an Osprey
grabs a fish from the water
 

Flying directly over us,
the bird has the fish in its
claws facing into the wind
 

You can see the trout's
tail pretty clearly here
 

This is the best lit shot
I got of the fish, under
the Osprey
 

A bald eagle races in toward
the Osprey with the fish
 

Powering in a full speed
the Eagle is fast approaching
the slower Osprey
 

 Right over our heads and
very close to catching up.
         



Camera:  Canon 10D
Lens:  Canon 100 - 400L IS
Platform:  Hand Held
Exposure:  Aperture priority f/8
Filters:  B&W UV
Location:  Willow Springs Lake, Az
Elevation:  7200 ft.
Outside Temperature:  62F
Processing: Photoshop CS2
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