Going fishin’ in the Kawarthas
A bald eagle catching its meal is magnificent to watch and better to catch with a camera
From the first time I saw a bald eagle along the coast of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, I was in awe of their magnificence. When I got my first digital camera, one of the things that led me to wildlife photography was a chance sighting of a bald eagle here in the Kawartha Lakes.
Since that time, I have spent a great deal of time photographing bald eagles, and they are still my favourite to photograph. They fascinate me. I have taken countless of pictures of them, but one of the photos that I have wanted to get more than any other is of a bald eagle swooping down and grabbing a fish.
I have seen them do it several times, but it has always been way too far out in the lake to get decent photographs. One time, I even watched a bald eagle plunge completely into the water like an osprey does to grab a large fish. He struggled for several minutes in the water trying to get airborne with his catch and finally did, but 25 metres later crashed back into the water with the weight of the huge fish.
Again he struggled to get airborne and did, only to succumb to the weight again. This scene went on over and over until the eagle was completely exhausted.
The battle lasted a good 10 minutes or more. I was even worried that the large fish might pull the eagle under water or the eagle might drown just from exhaustion. Eventually the eagle had to give up and let the fish go. Once free of the weight, he could get airborne and flew to a tree on the far shoreline, where he rested for a long time before he finally went on his way.
Unfortunately, all of this happened too far out in the lake to get good photographs.
Several more times since then I have watched the eagles catch a fish. Usually it is a precision manoeuvre. They cruise over the water until they spot the fish they think they can grab and then swoop down and pluck it from the water’s surface without even breaking the stride of their flight. It is magnificent to watch, but I always wanted to get it on camera.
Last week, I finally got closer to that goal. I was watching an eagle soaring over the lake high up in the air. It is incredible how good their eyesight is and how they can spot a target from that height. As the eagle soared she nonchalantly started descending. It was nothing like the osprey that goes into a steep high speed dive.
She just turned and circled back as she coasted closer and closer to the water with her feet hanging down looking very relaxed. She looked like she does this every day with ease, and she probably does.
Then, as she neared the surface of the water, the intensity of her actions appeared.
Her feet and talons thrust forward and tensed up, the two-inch nails spread open as far as they could. Her eyes never came off the target and with precision and grace she plucked the fish from the water. She followed through with no interruption of her wing beats or motion and rose upward again with a nice little bass firmly gripped in both sets of talons.
It was wonderful to watch and finally photograph. This all still happened farther out than would be ideal, but it was closer than before, and I am closer to getting those perfect shots.
The eagle cruised off with her fish and she and her young ones will eat well today.