Peebles Island Bald Eagles

Conditions on Peebles Island were perfect for checking on the Bald Eagle nest this morning. Temperatures were below freezing over night so the trails were frozen for easy walking. It was sunny so ISO levels could be kept low and shutter speeds kept high.

The 70-300mm lens works well and while the quality is good enough for 100% crops for posting online, those files aren't really large enough for printing. I finally sold the Tamron 45mm lens and the current plan is to replace the 70-300mm lens with the cheaper of the two Sigma 150-600mm lenses.

If the lens comparison tool on The Digital Picture can be trusted, the Sigma is sharper than the Canon 70-300mm lens from 150mm to 300mm anyway. It is, however, larger, heavier and more expensive.

As I approached the nest viewing location, one eagle was on the nest and the other in a nearby tree. Then the one in the tree landed on the nest, the other eagle flew off and then both eagles were off the nest for about 12 minutes, flying around. Then one eagle returned to the nest, apparently incubating an egg or eggs. Here is the sequence of photos.