Picture Of The Week 04-19-10

Where: Henrico County, VA • Near Deep Bottom on the James River

Notes: This image is one from what I would call a learning experience. I knew the fundamentals of flight photography and applied that to my camera settings. I had photographed from a boat before, but not at a location like this or with a professional guide. My camera was set for speed and slightly compensated for the white plumage of the adult Eagle's head and tail, to prevent over exposure. You just never know where, when or what kind of opportunity might present itself when out on an Eagle Photo Tour with Captain Mike of the James River Fishing School (www.JamesRiverFishing.com). His knowledge from years of fishing on that section of the river and his obvious appreciation of nature, made a great combination for leading this trip. A surprisingly chilly morning meant digging out some thermals and wool socks; they had been stowed away for the summer already. We boarded Captain Mike's able craft, a pontoon boat with a modest "head", and started out from Deep Bottom County Park. The mist on the river rose into the clear early morning air and it was not long before we floated past the first Eagle nest. The adults were near by and one flew up to the nest. We saw as many as twenty individual Eagles on a half day trip, plus other riverine species such as Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, Belted Kingfisher, Osprey and Caspian Tern. Later, we saw an adult Eagle chasing an immature bird (left top). We thought the youngster had perhaps gotten too close to their nest area? This made for some real aerial excitement. It takes four or five years before an Eagle gets its adult plumage. We made our turnaround at Turkey Island as we passed Presquile National Wildlife Refuge, where there was another nest. At times, we saw as many as six or eight Eagles all at one time in various parts of the sky. Beautiful weather, good friends, an excellent tour guide, and a lot of Eagles made this spring trip one to remember.

Equipment: Canon EOS 40D • Canon 300 f-2.8 L Series Lens • 1.4X Converter • Hand Held

Exposure: Shutter Speed = 1/6400 second • Aperture = f 6.3 • Exposure Mode = Aperture Priority • Focus Mode: One Shot • Lens (Focal) Length = 420 mm (300 mm w/ 1.4X converter) • ISO = 800 • Aprox. Camera Distance = ~60 Feet • Date Shot:04-18-10

©2010 Robert W. Schamerhorn. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.