It started out with 4 Bald Eagles perched rather low some trees as 1 took flight, but a second look showed several more eagles perched in the grove, and even more along a line of nearby trees with several flying above the trees. The more I looked, the more there were, and the eagles continued for at least a mile. I quickly counted the birds in flight that numbered 28, but there were many more perched in the trees – in all there were 87 Bald Eagles! Thrilled to see so many eagles, the birds in the air were climbing ever-higher as they used updrafts from the north wind to quickly gain altitude, some soaring at 50 feet, others at 500 feet as mere specks in the dreary sky as light sprinkles of rain were falling.

While this rather dramatic photo lacks the bright sunlight my photos are known for, the subdued lighting in the young Bald Eagle’s plumage adds a moody effect, which is underlined by the white background that was created by the cloud cover (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/1000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

At one point I counted 34 eagles – adults and immatures – swirling in circles directly overhead, forming an ever-changing kaleidoscope of eagles! Photography was all but a useless effort, unless silhouettes were the interest; so I continued 3 miles to Hecla Marsh, where I counted 14 more Bald Eagles, which would be a lot anywhere else, and they brought the local count to 101 – woo!

I thought I might find more eagles a few miles north along the border that divides the Dakotas, and as I crossed back into North Dakota from a distance I could see there were at least 4 white-headed eagles at the large marsh lined by trees on the opposite side. More eagles materialized in flight, and when I turned off the road and cleared a small hill, it looked like a loosely positioned flock of geese was standing on the ice. But when I raised my binoculars I realized the birds on the ice were eagles! The trees were also filled with eagles perched at various heights, with more in flight over the area – what a fantastic sight!

As this image shows a better level of illumination, the yearling Bald Eagle provides another impressive example of one of the many eagles that floated above during a memorable Friday photo session (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Starting with the perched eagles, I counted 199 in the trees! Followed by 304 on the ice and along the shore, plus 14 more in flight – that’s 517 at the borderland marsh! When that number was added to the first group of eagles closer to Hecla, the total was – you guessed it – 618 Bald Eagles! Amazing! After counting, it was quite a thrill to watch the eagle action, especially the interactions of eagles on the ice as they jockeyed for position to feed on what I imagined was an abundance of winter-killed fish that were being exposed as the ice melted. Eagles were constantly in motion, flying low, landing, hopping to try to steal an exposed fish with others spreading wings in response – it was quite a show.

While counting, I noticed there was a higher percentage of adult eagles perched in the trees, with a higher percent of immature eagles on the ice. Overall, it was my second highest eagle count, only surpassed by a turn of the century tally I did along the Mississippi River on March 3rd, 2000 that numbered 695. However, that river count was conducted from Wabasha to Redwing, Minnesota (about 29 miles), while last Wednesday’s count was limited to 2 areas just 6 miles apart.

Sunshine! Clear sky provided signature sunlight to Sunday’s images, with this yearling showing every shade of brown between white to black, including in its sharp brown eye. Be aware of shadowed areas when photographing, such as you can see in this eagle’s lower wing, but appreciate it in other ways – perhaps adding depth while emphasizing the upper wing and tail feathers (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/3200 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Eagle Photo Attempts

The only downside to this remarkable birding experience was that I really couldn’t photograph under the heavily overcast sprinkling cloud cover last Wednesday. But I’d be back! Friday would be my next chance to return to the borderlands and although sunlight was fleeting as the next storm was on its way, there were still hundreds of Bald Eagles present. This time I didn’t have the patience to attempt counts, except that I could see a swirling flight of 22 eagles above a grove of trees a mile east of the borderland marsh, which was now ice-free with eagles lining the shores and perched in trees.

I decided the flight of eagles might be my best first photo effort, but the grove was in a remote location, so I drove a mile south, 2 miles east, a mile north, and ½ mile west along a rutted section line track that consisted of a 2-tire dirt lane. After passing over 2 small dry water basins, the rutted road looked even more questionable, so I parked and walked another ½ mile to the edge of the trees. With a strengthening north wind, the eagles were catching updrafts coming off the north edge of the elongated tree grove, and it proved to be an exciting opportunity to observe and photograph an ever-changing parade of Bald Eagles!

Be alert and anticipate the unexpected through your camera lens, such as when this adult Bald Eagle suddenly reared upward in flight, catching the strong north wind as it propelled almost straight overhead as illustrated below (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Eagles glided just above the tree tops in 2s and 3s and 5s, turning this way and that as I waited for them to turn into the sun, which didn’t happen often, but the big birds with expansive wingspreads kept things active and exciting. The most spirited flights were between 2 and sometimes 3 eagles that made fast swirling flights that turned to 1 side, then upward, diving down and turning again, in tandem or with 1 chasing the other. In retrospect, most of the eagles cruising the updrafts were immature birds, perhaps looking for some exercise, but there also seemed to be a social element to the soaring flights when some eagles ranged ever-higher overhead; maybe a level of fun for some too – it sure looked like a fun activity for this earthbound photographer.

By all means, continue to follow any flying bird to show an unusual angle rarely selected or published. With hundreds of potential eagles to photograph, there were many good chances to create some different looks at an extreme eagle flight (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

The eagles provided almost unlimited opportunities for composing flight photographs of the birds moving effortlessly on wind power, but the sunlight was fleeting, often shaded by thin or not so thin layers of clouds. Then too, the sun’s direction was mostly from overhead during midday, but that was to be the only potentially sunny part of the day with the cold-weather storm on its way. Even so, I was positioned so my shadow pointed north, into the wind, and for the most part, that’s the direction the eagles were pointed as they glided overhead, and to the right and left slightly in front of me. Good light or not, it was a fantastic experience, and time and time again, eagles seemed to take an interest in me after they noticed the figure with the black lens pointed upward.

Article and Photographs by Paul Konrad

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