Young Bald Eagle Looking Fierce

On that day, the sky was nearly cloudless, and it shone in bright blue hues. I spotted the eagle from about a mile away, perched on a power pole. Because the bird was cooperative, I managed to get fairly close to the subadult Bald Eagle.

As I locked my camera onto the young Bald Eagle, I intentionally decreased my ISO to capture as many fine details in its plumage as possible. With the excellent light, I could obtain the shutter speed I wanted for a perched bird.

After a while, the young Bald Eagle gazed straight at me while I snapped its pictures. I find head-on photos of my subjects funny, intense, curious, or fierce, and this case was no exception. It may have been focused on me, or perhaps it had its eyes set on prey in the distance, but it didn’t matter. This shot I got of the young Bald Eagle’s fierce stare was my favorite of all.

When I got home and viewed this image on my monitor I couldn’t resist smiling. This photo still makes me chuckle and smile every time I see it. It doesn’t take much to amuse me or cause me to laugh, I suppose.

The subadult Bald Eagle was still perched on the pole when I left to focus on other birds. This raptor was so cooperative that it made the encounter even more memorable.