Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/05/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In 1980, Pennsylvania had only three pairs of nesting bald eagles. Today, there are something like 45 pairs, largely due to reintroduction. Hardly a stellar comeback, but a significant achievement nonetheless. I knew that to photograph a bald eagle in Pennsylvania would be a challenge, but one that I felt up for. In late 2003, a pair of bald eagles nested at the Beaver Run Reservoir in westmorland county. They hatched two babies and later that year, the father was shot by a turkey hunter but the two babies survived. Across from their aerie is a sheer 60 foot rock cliff with no road access that looks down from about 120 feet -- I knew this would be the vantage point from which the nest must be photographed. I called ye-professional-photo palace to rent a 600mm f4 AF-S and a 1.4x teleconverter, and looked into the proper gear backpack for climbing the rockface. Then I scheduled climbing lessons at the Centerville Rock Wall gym. Bob Tukkas was very helpful in teaching me piton and caribeaner skills. I slated two hours for the climb which left me with a dilema, I wanted to get there just as the crepuscular light broke over the nest, which would have me climbing at dark, a dangerous prospect. "Ah, what the hell," I figured, and took the lens rental money, bought a case of burbon and went to the philadelphia zoo and photographed Ritz and Glory with a 300mm where they sat, ignominiously, with an autographed (philadelphia eagles) football, looking very bored. http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/lj/2005/eagle.jpg Then I had ice cream and went home, realizing I'll never be half the photographer doug herr is, but I do have a case of burbon.