Bald Eagle vs. Loon

Gallery: AvianPosted February 9, 20053,800 views22 comments

This took place almost 2 years ago to the day in what might as well be my back yard (I live next to the ocean). We had a very sudden drop in temperature during the night and the loon was trapped in the ice. With the sunrise came the hungry eagles. Not a morning I will ever forget!

Taken with Eos3, 600+2x, Velvia (all I had, unfortunately), 1/60 or 1/90 @ f8.0 so it's not the sharpest image I've produced - I had bought my 600 just the previous week. Slight crop on all sides. As presented I can get an excellent 5x7 out of it, but things get iffy at 8x10. Some of you may have seen this posted elsewhere a long time ago - Bob and Garth's spectacular Peregrine shots made me dig this one out of my files again. Awesome work guys!

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Ed Cordes on February 9, 2005 at 10:42 PM

Marc, this is a winner. The action is superbly depicted by the wing motion of the eagle. The reality of nature is caught at just the right moment and illustrated by the poor loon. I alos like the lose feathers on the right. To me even if larger printing were a little soft the subject and action would make up for it.

Great job.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 451 Posts, 3366 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Grey on February 9, 2005 at 11:12 PM

Truly an awesome picture, and pretty impressive to get it this sharp with such slow film. But the technical problems fade out. An amazing moment captured, predator and helpless prey, blood on white throat, the wing action of both birds.

Registered on December 2, 2003, 144 Posts, 2069 Comments

Comment posted by Toni Lankerd on February 9, 2005 at 11:39 PM

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww

Great action shot, Marc, although it makes me feel bad for the Loon. Such is Nature.

Registered on January 3, 2005, 360 Posts, 4004 Comments

Comment posted by Jason Jones on February 9, 2005 at 11:42 PM

I agree that even if it lost some sharpness at larger size, this would be on my wall for sure. Great action!

Registered on May 6, 2004, 6 Posts, 37 Comments

Comment posted by Brian E. Small on February 9, 2005 at 11:58 PM

This is just an incredible natural history image Marc!!!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 147 Posts, 933 Comments

Comment posted by Lou McLaughlin on February 10, 2005 at 3:48 AM

This is one intense and great image! Great job.

Registered on September 29, 2004, 10 Posts, 54 Comments

Comment posted by Graeme Guy on February 10, 2005 at 4:48 AM

Ouch good action shot.....virtually the prototypic sitting duck.
GG

Registered on January 19, 2004, 33 Posts, 438 Comments

Comment posted by Kenneth Kijewski on February 10, 2005 at 7:46 AM

WOW

This is soooo

Registered on February 17, 2004, 166 Posts, 3390 Comments

Comment posted by Bob Steele on February 10, 2005 at 8:05 AM

This is fantastic!!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 354 Posts, 13896 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on February 10, 2005 at 9:19 AM

What an amazing image!

A perfect example of how content will trump technicals (a comment I made in a discussion in the general forum a while back).

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Zipp on February 10, 2005 at 9:45 AM

Oliver, Not a pretty picuture but what a great capture at the perfect moment in time. Nice job.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 86 Posts, 940 Comments

Comment posted by George Hall, Jr on February 10, 2005 at 10:09 AM

Fantastic action, very nice image.

Registered on July 11, 2004, 283 Posts, 2395 Comments

Comment posted by Gwyn Calvetti on February 10, 2005 at 10:34 AM

That poor loon! But what an incredible moment. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on February 8, 2005, 11 Posts, 26 Comments

Comment posted by Garth McElroy on February 10, 2005 at 10:58 AM

Registered on November 1, 2003, 248 Posts, 4406 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Royse on February 10, 2005 at 11:36 AM

Great moment.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 218 Posts, 2427 Comments

Comment posted by Juza on February 10, 2005 at 1:25 PM

Oliver,
this is a truly "intense" image. Thanks for sharing!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 374 Posts, 10466 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on February 10, 2005 at 4:01 PM

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Fusco on February 10, 2005 at 5:52 PM

Great real-life action! This is what photography is all about.
That loon had seen better days.
Good job with the exposure too.

- Paul

Registered on November 17, 2003, 283 Posts, 1163 Comments

Comment posted by Duane Rosenkranz on February 10, 2005 at 10:28 PM

Excellant shot
Duane Rosenkranz

Registered on October 13, 2004, 280 Posts, 2661 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on February 12, 2005 at 7:20 PM

I am in complete agreement with the others. Fantastic nature story.

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Farina on February 12, 2005 at 11:21 PM

incredible trial of life shot, I'm sure your heart was pounding through your chest as you were snapping away. My is, and I didn't even take the picture

Registered on July 10, 2004, 7 Posts, 45 Comments

Comment posted by Prashant Khapane on February 14, 2005 at 7:13 AM

one of the best!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 492 Posts, 4580 Comments