Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

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forestkeeper
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Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by forestkeeper » April 12th, 2014, 11:04 pm

After reading markesc's TR about Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge and seeing his awesome bird photos, I decided to go check the refuge out last Tuesday. I got to a late start, about 11:30am, not much time left to take any nice landscape shots, and the air was beginning to warm. But after getting on the trail, I was quite surprised on the number of birds out and about. On nearing a cove of trees, I caught sight of two Bald Eagles, sitting side by side on a branch, about a good 80-100 feet up. After getting my cameras ready (I shoot with a Sony a500 APS-C DSLR w/ a 500 mm prime lens and a Sony a580 with the 18-55 mm kit lens for landscapes and as a backup), I captured these two love birds :roll: performing mad, passionate love mating.
Eagles Mating ph1-1.jpg
Eagles Mating ph2-1.jpg
Eagles Mating ph3-1.jpg
Eagles Mating ph4-1.jpg
Eagles Mating ph5-1.jpg
And the last photo kind of shows the female looking away in disgust.
Eagles After Mating ph6-1.jpg
Although most of us see Canadian Geese as they fly above us, or standing in droves by highways, ponds or other public places, I love shooting these birds in their natural habitat.
Canadian Goose ph1-1.jpg
And here's a couple of photos of the Western Painted Turtle. I love the colors in these two pics, especially the colors in the water reflections.
Western Painted Turtle ph1-1.jpg
Western Painted Turtle ph2-1-2.jpg
This is a "must see" refuge. Cheers.

forestkeeper

Limey
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Re: Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by Limey » April 13th, 2014, 8:18 am

Well, I didn't know I'd joined a porno site :lol:
Great pictures Will. How fortunate you were to be there just at the right time. Have never been there but all the posts about the refuge really make me want to go.

Marilyn

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by Waffle Stomper » April 13th, 2014, 11:12 am

Now where are a couple of eagles to go for some privacy? :lol:

Lovely series.
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

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Lekilei253
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Re: Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by Lekilei253 » April 13th, 2014, 11:18 am

Awesome pics!
Limey wrote:Well, I didn't know I'd joined a porno site :lol:
Bahaahaaa! :lol:

All these TR made me want to check this place out. I went yesterday and ran into Markesc. My first Portland hiker spotting!! He helped me spot a Northern Harrier in the field that I would have missed!! Great to meet ya!

I didn't see many other large birds, until I was driving home, of course! I saw two large dark colored birds with red beaks, Turkey vultures maybe? And a couple of hawks. But I did see the turtles and a cute lil bunny. It's a great slice of nature close to the city.

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forester
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Re: Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by forester » April 13th, 2014, 8:50 pm

I took this picture and didn't realize until I pulled the camera out of the water what I actually captured. (Rough-skinned newts are very easy to photograph during mating season...)

I turned it into this for a friend a while back. 8-)
DSCN4537-1900-1000.jpg

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kepPNW
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Re: Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by kepPNW » April 14th, 2014, 9:51 am

So this is where we're going, hmmmm... :)

Image
Party along Ruckel Creek trail last spring.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

forestkeeper
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Re: Bald Eagles Mating at Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge

Post by forestkeeper » April 14th, 2014, 10:38 pm

:lol: :lol: Weird....very weird. There are quite a few of us "voyeurs" out and about, huh? Although this did stray away from my original baldy mating session, do any others have photos of "wild things" (other than you) performing mating rituals and instincts? ;)

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