VISIT TO THE BALD EAGLE TREE & ROUGH WATER

click on photos to enlarge

We are due to get some rough weather here locally late today so I hitched up the Gheenoe and went to check on the eaglets before the rains came.
The water looked rough and I stood and stared at it from the boat ramp awhile before launching.  It can be tricky getting a boat safely into the water in high wind with waves when one has to work alone.   This was going to be a rough ride as the water swells were high and constant.  The photography at the eagles nest probably would be tricky also.

All appeared fine at the nest.  I could see the back of the second eaglet moving along the top edge of the nest.  They both never did show themselves together on this visit.

By the looks of the plumage development;  they will need another week before leaving the nest.
Who's that peeking around that tree?  Little sister?

My boat was acting like a cork out on that rough water.  I'm glad someone invented image stabilization for these long lenses.  Even with the stabilization feature it was difficult to hold the image in the lens.  I had to continually position the boat between shots also..  I had just repositioned the Gheenoe for another picture of the babies when I looked up and saw mom sitting on a limb to the left of the nest.  She is always watching.  I commenced to focus "no pun intended" totally on her with the camera.  The results are below.  I believe the following photographs of this adult Bald Eagle are the best my equipment, and I, can produce.

This bird was breathtaking to observe.  I am a bit concerned about only seeing one adult at the nest.  It has been this way in my last three visits.  Bald Eagles mate for life and it would be a shame if one of these parents met with disaster.  A shame!  Time will tell.
I swung away from the eagle's tree and headed out into the river channel.  I wanted to visit the Heron rookery to see if the babies were born down there.  I went about a quarter mile down stream and decided I didn't want to fight the waves and swells.  I continued on, out of stubbornness until I ran up on a tug boat pushing a huge collection of barges down stream.  I didn't want to fight the wake from that vessel and turned around for home.

That water is rough;  let me tell ya!   Some kind of weather front is moving in tonight for sure.  I can see it in the sky.

I got my boat loaded safely and headed down the road.  The wind was blowing very hard and I wanted no more of it.  I would spend the rest of the afternoon in the company of my dogs.  The river ride was fun and the photographs I collected of the eagles will be put in the memory file with the thousands of others.