Eagle and Turkey V.

Thusie

I wasn't going to post these, all the shots are way out of range, but what I did capture you can see quite well and I think pretty interesting. Hey I'm easy.:D I was back looking at the eagles nest, there is a 1400' limit to how close you can get and the eaglets have hatched.
I see a big bird in the area, figured it was a TV but took a shot just for the heck of it. Then another big bird comes blasting in and I decided I best get the camera up and keep shooting.















There was more action but these are the best of what I got.

Osprey Whisperer

Some interesting captures, Thusie. Too bad you didn't have a better seat for the show...or longer glass. That must have been something to see.

Rohirrim

Neat action shots Thusie. A good example that action shots don't have to be 100% technically correct to make for good viewing.

Thusie

Bird Man Photographer wrote:

Some interesting captures, Thusie. Too bad you didn't have a better seat for the show...or longer glass. That must have been something to see.

It was and yea longer, much longer glass:cry Thanks for looking.

Thusie

Thanks Steve.

Don is the reason I even posted, he said no they aren't up close but they are very cool anyway.

livinginoz

they are cool! i looked past the focus and distance, wondering how in the world they can do that in mid air!! awesome creatures.

Thusie

Thanks Laurie! Yes they are pretty amazing

Here is an uncropped shot

kdog

Not including the first turkey vulture shot, Im pretty sure what you have there is an adult eagle sparring with a juvenile eagle. I posted a series on a similar thread called Eagle Flight School.

Thanks for the memories.

Thusie

Actu

Thusie

kdog wrote:

Not including the first turkey vulture shot, Im pretty sure what you have there is an adult eagle sparring with a juvenile eagle. I posted a series on a similar thread called Eagle Flight School.

Thanks for the memories.

Actually I know for a fact the the TV in the first shot is the exact same bird that is in the rest of the shots. Not real crowed with eagles around here for one, and you have TV in first shot and no other bird in the sky till eagle shows up:-))) Besides look real close and you can see the wing and head differences. It was not sparing it was one of the eagles protecting the nest.

kdog

Thusie, I'm sure you're right. However, humor me for one minute.

Here's a juvie eagle.



Compare that to the "other bird" in your last shot, paying particular attention to the coloring under the wings.



For example, notice that light shoulders in both the juvie eagle and your other bird.

Now compare your turkey vulture coloring with that same "other bird".



Hmm, dark shoulders. See what I mean? Those birds are sneaky. They seem to come and go out of nowhere.

jmallen

Thusie wrote:

Actually I know for a fact the the TV in the first shot is the exact same bird that is in the rest of the shots. Not real crowed with eagles around here for one, and you have TV in first shot and no other bird in the sky till eagle shows up:-))) Besides look real close and you can see the wing and head differences. It was not sparing it was one of the eagles protecting the nest.

I have to agree with Kdog about the whole TV vs. juvenile eagle debate. I'm no bird expert (unless you count a semester of ornithology in college) but I've seen my share of TV's here in San Antonio and it doesn't resemble anything I've seen so far. Great action shots though!

Dick on Aruba

Considering the extreme diffeculty of those shots it turn out te be great.

Dick.

Thusie

Guys please understand there are ONLY two eagle nest in this county and this is a big county. I took a shot of the TV and I never took my eyes off that SINGLE bird, hoping the TV would come in closer, in the sky there were NO OTHER BIRDS! When the second bird came in fast and hit the TV the first time I then put focus back on the birds to start shooting... So unless that TV morphed from one species into another it was and is a TV. Two birds I have the whole series. Remember also the TV was flying, circiling so yes it will look different as the light and angle changed. Big sky guys, no clouds and no other birds but those two. Also please look at the head and neck of the all black bird..Look at the lenfh and how it comes out of the body.
Besides all that if there were juvie balds coming into te Hatchery they would be documented..That is a Divison of Wildlife facility and eagles in these parts are a HUGE deal. So please insult my camera skills but do not insult my vison or what I saw in the sky ok?

So here are a couple more

Thusie

Undersides of wings all black

Thusie

For some reason having a bit of trouble posting and yes I'm a bit ticked off at this point. I can not believe I take a picture of one bird, the only bird in the sky for miles another bird shows up and I take pictures of both birds having never taken my eyes off the first bird which was a TV and I have people telling me oh no it was a juvie eagle!

liquidsquid

Wow, I am a bit baffled too, I beleive what you saw, the first image on the first post is definitly a TV, but the last one in the series does not appear to be a TV at all, but I would prefer to beleive what you saw and the angle is projecting wierdness.

Fantastic series though, suprised that the TV wasn't killed.

-LS

kdog

Sorry, Thusie. Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. :uhoh

Turkey Vulture it is! Great series too.

Peace,
-joel

Thusie

liquidsquid wrote:

Wow, I am a bit baffled too, I beleive what you saw, the first image on the first post is definitly a TV, but the last one in the series does not appear to be a TV at all, but I would prefer to beleive what you saw and the angle is projecting wierdness.

Fantastic series though, suprised that the TV wasn't killed.

-LS

Thanks, lots of distanace, way blown up and no EC on any of the shots and bright sun, can do strange things to black birds. I don't think killing was the point I do think running the TV off from the nesting site was. It is assumed that since this is a brand new nest, not even up on the DNR eagle count site yet, this is a first year mating pair (not first year birds:):). They are monitoring the nest by chopper and keeping a tight lid on any publicity. No one gets past that 1400' boundrey.

Thusie

kdog wrote:

Sorry, Thusie. Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. :uhoh

Turkey Vulture it is! Great series too.

Peace,
-joel

Joel, I apologize for being so snarky but this is a situation you would have had to been there, trust me. You would also have to know this area and the situation:): We have zillons of TV's, so bad they are actually pests up a Denison U. When I saw the 'other' black bird comining in at first I thought it was another TV, but TV's glide wonderfully, not so hot at actually flying and the other bird was moving fast, then dove. The first hit, which I didn't get with the camera, TV's are not any kind of threat in the air, was my first clue something wasn't quite right. I didn't know for sure it was one of the eagles until I came home and blew the shots up. Groups of eagles are just not seen in this area at all or surrounding counties. Eagle sightings make the news.

CookieS

Thusie, i know youre frustrated, Im no birder,(Ive looked up and lost a bird i thought i knew where it went) But I study animals alot, I know you think you never saw any other bird, but If you are honest and really study shape and form of those shots. even the shape of tail feathers and wing tips, You must admitt, It has more eagle characteristics the TV. Isnt possible one stuck in ,in a flash ?????? great action sequence

Thusie

The under structure of the wings and wing feathering between TV and eagles look quite a bit alike and from that distance and the poor exposure I can see the confusion. You need to look at the head and neck.
Besides I just checked with the the guys at the Hatchery and there are no bald juvies in the area, believe me they know, and there have been TWO more TV's nailed by one or other of the eagles as the TV's glide over the nesting area. While they do get a few transient juvies in the fall and winter but they are long gone now. Plus that place is crawling with spotters right now.

See that is what folks are missing, one it was a TV and two there are no juvie Balds around to just pop in. Up around the Great Lakes and a few other areas yes, not here and not now.