One year ago this morning spotting and photographing this adult Golden Eagle at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was the highlight of an otherwise very crappy day.

Adult Golden Eagle close up fly by, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UtahAdult Golden Eagle close up fly by – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited

When I found and pointed out this Golden Eagle on the way back to I-15 it was perched in the spindly branches of a tree very close to the edge of the road. I quickly removed my teleconverter because with it I knew I had too much reach. Even with just my 500mm lens attached to my Nikon D500 I knew that if the eagle flew that I would most likely clip wing tips or feet. I took a nice series of images of the Golden Eagle perched in the tree.

When a man in a small blue sedan pulled over and exited his vehicle to take images of the Golden Eagle he flushed it from the tree. The large eagle took to the air and I was able to take a few images where I didn’t clip a thing.

Now it isn’t common for me to have a Golden Eagle as close to me as this one was I kept all of the photos because they were in focus, sharp and even though I clipped a few things I liked the close up views I achieved and what I could see in them.

In this image I can see the lustrous golden nape of this eagle, its feathered legs, and how large its talons are. The eyes, bill and gape stand out well too. Most of all, I can clearly see the power and concentration of this large and impressive bird.

Typically I don’t like to clip parts of my subjects unless I am taking portraits of them but I do make exceptions. I take photos for me and if I like them despite the flaws I see they’ll probably end up shared here and in my photo galleries.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Golden Eagle photos plus facts and information about this species.