The Nest
One year ago I watched a brand new mated pair of Eagles build their first nest and unfortunately their eggs did not hatch. It was pretty rough to watch them visit the eggs but make no effort to incubate them, I don't know how they knew but it was evident they new. This year the pair returned to the same nest and I visited it 20 days earlier than I had the previously year and to my delight I was treated at Dawns first light to an Eaglet that couldn't have been much more than a week or two old, if that. As the sun rose a bit I was again rewarded for my patience with a second eaglet and 3 feeding sessions. I got to see Mom and Dad interact and I was able to remain completely unknown to them. This video might not have as good image quality as some previous ones but that is because I have to be pretty far away to get the angle I need and to remain undetected. I used a 600mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter and I had my camera in 1.6 mode. Then most of the pictures and videos are additionally cropped by 50% So that is an effective lens distance of over 2600mm. The nest is next to a river and there is a relatively nearby bluff that is lined with cedar trees at the top edge facing the nest. These Cedar Trees and my approach from the opposite side allow me to visit this nest without the Eagle family ever having an Idea. I also employ full camouflage gear just in case one flies directly overhead. In this way I am completely hidden. The bluff top is visited frequently by wild Canadian geese (much more skittish that what you would find at a city park) and they land within 10 to 15 feet of me and have no Idea that I am there so I know that I am doing a good job of sitting still and quiet and invisible. It has been almost a 3 month photograph slump for me and that is the main reason I haven't posted anything for a while. I work a full time job and have 5 kids still living at home and my Wife had surgery recently which laid her up for a while and that too kept my wildlife ventures few and far between. Missouri had a very tame winter as well so I didn't have the consolidated wildlife or easy to find tracks in the snow that I have had in previous years. All in all it added up to this being a huge moment for me. I hope you enjoy the video and please feel free to comment. Shares and follows are always appreciated and I hope to check on the Eagle family at least bi-weekly and follow those checks with some more videos here. Thank you for watching!