Such strength, such an intelligent and determined look – eagles definitely rock.
Canon 5DIII, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 1600, focal length 560mm
I found myself mesmerised by this shot. The sheer magnificence of this massive bird. The look in its eye, its incredible hooked bill, complete with hanging dew drop, and the rich, reddish brown feathers that show it’s a young or youngish Wedge-tailed Eagle. Their feathers get progressively darker during their first ten years. They are believed to live for up to forty years. Rabbits and carrion form most of their diet. Their 2.3m wingspan means it can take them a while to get airborne from roadkill – so, if it’s safe to do so, it’s good to drag roadkill several metres from passing traffic. It’s definitely not always pleasant but it can save the lives of many eagles as they feed or wait their turn.
Wedge-tailed Eagles are Australia’s largest raptors; females are slightly paler and slightly larger than males. They mate for life and create (and reuse) remarkable stick nests that measure 1.8m across and 3m deep though the ‘cup’ in the top is shallower. Quite a few people could share a cuppa in a nest that size (as long as we’re not in lockdown and we have a very long ladder).
Canon 5DIII, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 1600, focal length 560mm
With this landing shot I love the close up details of the eagle’s tail and underwing feathers, and of its fully feathered legs, and look at those crazily strong feet and talons. I’m wondering which of these images is best, the colour or the monochrome.
Canon 5DIII, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 1600, focal length 560mm
An artist friend contacted me this week about working on a Wedge-tailed Eagle picture. There would be something quite remarkable about drawing or painting every detail of a bird.
Happy birding, stay safe, Kim
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Magnificent birds (and shot). I love the richness the colour brings. I pity the bunny with that in his peripheral vision!
Thanks Syndy, and I do agree with you about the bunny. Right now I have a rabbit and a White-faced Heron sharing the same patch of grass in my garden, strange friends!
WOW!!! This eagle looks so powerful it makes me feel like I am an item on the menu.
That’s so true Tess!
Great photo, Kim. Were these taken at a flight show?
I was beside myself with excitement when I saw a pair of Wedgies circling from the driver’s seat of my car and with no camera and no time to stop to watch them, I said to my son who was with me that now I have seen them in that spot, I’ll come back in the hope of seeing them and capturing some photos but that night Lockdown was announced so I have to wait!
I like the coloured image and see what you mean about the grass too. What if it was a monochrome background and only the eagle was coloured? Just a thought.
Hi Kim, I hope you get back to the eagle spot soon, what a neat sight to have seen. Two or three used to circle over my place but there’s a long time between visits now.
I think maybe a cross between the colour and mono images might work, rather than completely desaturating the grass I think I should try desaturating it a little and maybe changing the hue slightly, so that it becomes a softer look… thanks for your suggestion, Kim
I adore them. One of my office jobs was made infinitely better because we could often see them simply by looking out of the window. The memory of a photo I didn’t take (no camera with me) of one perched on a road kill kanga still saddens me.
While I like and appreciate the monochrome shot for me today full glorious living colour takes the prize.
That’s definitely the kind of office job to have! And those are the photos I call ‘heart photos’, you never forget them and they are always perfectly focused. Thanks re your colour thoughts too.
I love the monochrome here as it gives such detail to the texture and detail in the feathers. It is a wonderful photo.
Thanks heaps for that Carolyn. I really like the way monochrome works with texture too, now I’m in two minds again! 🙂
Amazing photographs, Kim. No wonder you found yourself mesmerised by the first photo. What a look!
I often gravitate to a monochrome shot, but this time I think the colour enhances the detail of the feathers.
Thank you Margot! I like seeing the reddish-brown feathers but I’m not so fond of the brightness of the grass. I could maybe desaturate the grass a little and get the best of both worlds…