[Leica] Eagles are back

[Howard Cummer]

Actually they never went away but in the winter storms the deck of the landing dock at Otter Bay was undermined. Until repairs were recently done
we couldn’t get out on the deck to see or feed the eagles.They have waited patiently for us to return and now that we have their cafeteria is again open.

I took 607 pictures in about an hour and the birds put on a spectacular show - chasing the seagulls away from “their” food.All taken with the Nikon D500 and Nikon 300mm F4.0 PF.
In my experience the best combo for birds in flight on the market today!!

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DSC_6165C.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DSC_6165C.jpg.html>

The eagle trailing its wing in the water. I love how they do this - their flight computer gauging the effect of wing in water effortlessly.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DDSC_5963.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DDSC_5963.jpg.html>

Coming in to land on the dock. It was a cloudy dull day and the light was just right for no blown out highlights.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DSC_6415c.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DSC_6415c.jpg.html>

Rounding on the hungry gulls.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DSC_6420C.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/DSC_6420C.jpg.html>

Again after the gulls.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/Landingclawsout.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2019/Canada/Eagles/Landingclawsout.jpg.html>

and coming into land one more time.

I like the 300mmPF for this work as it allows for more space around the bird - easier to follow - and with enough pixels in the D500
to crop a bit if necessary. My 200 - 500 VR zoom at 500 is too hard to frame and follow a busy bird. And there is never enough time
to adjust the zoom focal length in the heat of battle.

Please view large if you like. C&C always welcome, of course.

Howard