Mating Golden eagle

Gallery: AvianPosted March 25, 20048,341 views38 comments

I have not posted for a long time but i would like to share this rare image with you all.

This image was take during my Finland trip together with Guy and Bart a few weeks ago in Northern Finland. In brief this is the story behind this image:

- Got up at 04.30 hours
- On the road by 05.30
- Temperature minus 20!
- 05.45, helmet on, on the snowscooter up the mountain.
- 06.00 hours install ourselves in the hide
- Thank god: a hugh plastic container to relief myself!
- 07.00-14.00 mainly looking at nothing, falling asleep, eat, drink a cup of coffee, fall asleep again, relief myself and staring again at nothing.
- 14.30 I am on duty. Eagle flies left to right
- 14.30 and 1 second later, everyone awake
- 14.35 Second eagle flies left to right
- 14.55 Eagle lands in front of hide, second eagle lands in front of hide
- 15.00 Eagles are mating,camera's are clicking, someone feels the need to open a packet of biscuits
- 15.45 Eagles fly off.

The rest is history

- leave hide at 17.00
- God, i feel stiff

Birdphotography is all about patience and persistence......sometimes you just get lucky!

Canon EOS10D/4.0-500 IS/Kirk BH1/ISO200/Phase 1/Adobe CS

Rene de Heer

Comments

38 comments

Comment posted by Chris Davidson on March 25, 2004 at 3:55 PM

WOW!!!

Thanks for sharing this one, Rene!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 38 Posts, 815 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Erhardt on March 25, 2004 at 3:57 PM

Outstanding, Rene - thanks for posting it!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 245 Posts, 2421 Comments

Comment posted by gergled on March 25, 2004 at 4:02 PM

Incredible!!!!

Greg

Registered on December 8, 2003, 0 Posts, 6 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Zipp on March 25, 2004 at 4:03 PM

Fantastic image Rene!! I'm wondering, what attracts them to this area? I've never seen a shot like this!

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

Comment posted by Steve Muskie on March 25, 2004 at 4:06 PM

Fabulous behaviour shot. It looks very intense, to say the least.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 26 Posts, 218 Comments

Comment posted by Bob Steele on March 25, 2004 at 4:06 PM

Holy cow! This is amazing!!!

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

Comment posted by Kenneth Kijewski on March 25, 2004 at 4:17 PM

SWEET , AWESOME

These are my favorite all time raptors! Kings and Queens of the sky!
Thanks for posting this!

I can't stop

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on March 25, 2004 at 4:41 PM

<i>Birdphotography is all about patience and persistence...</i>

and "a hugh plastic container to relief oneself!"

A remarkable image, and a great story.

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

Comment posted by Garth McElroy on March 25, 2004 at 5:00 PM

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

Comment posted by John MacTavish on March 25, 2004 at 5:26 PM

I have yet to see a better wildlife study. Simply superb!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 41 Posts, 145 Comments

Comment posted by Andrew Joslin on March 25, 2004 at 6:01 PM

Unbelievable! That is one crazily good behavioral image. Thanks for posting it.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 15 Posts, 137 Comments

Comment posted by Jakob Sigurdsson on March 25, 2004 at 6:25 PM

Brilliant!

That looks rather rough

Registered on January 27, 2004, 13 Posts, 29 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Asarisi on March 25, 2004 at 6:29 PM

Bravo!!

Holy CoW!

Damn nice stuff! Once in a lifetime shot!

Registered on November 14, 2003, 6 Posts, 24 Comments

Comment posted by Emma Scott on March 25, 2004 at 9:08 PM

Interesting behavioural shot and well exposed.

Fantastic frame

Emma

Registered on February 8, 2004, 0 Posts, 3 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Roberts on March 25, 2004 at 9:17 PM

Its all been said but once again WOW .

Registered on November 18, 2003, 7 Posts, 7 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Steele on March 25, 2004 at 10:54 PM

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!

Gary

Registered on January 4, 2004, 16 Posts, 137 Comments

Comment posted by Alan Woolnough on March 26, 2004 at 2:30 AM

Its all been said Rene, but it deserves being said again,

Probably one of the finest images ive seen {or ever likely to}.

congrats again

PS: somehow my own mating shot of a pair of coots, seems less special to me now

Alan

Registered on November 13, 2003, 3 Posts, 275 Comments

Comment posted by Tobias Bäckström on March 26, 2004 at 3:05 AM

Hello Rene,

A fabulous behavioural image! Couldn't be better!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 9 Posts, 71 Comments

Comment posted by Robert S. on March 26, 2004 at 3:22 AM

Let's see... have they left any of these for me to use?

Yep.

WOW!!!!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 128 Posts, 576 Comments

Comment posted by Justin on March 26, 2004 at 3:47 AM

Outstanding shot,Rene.
Congratulations

Registered on November 1, 2003, 106 Posts, 1697 Comments

Comment posted by Jochen Schlenker on March 26, 2004 at 4:55 AM

Brilliant once-in-a-lifetime shot!

You will surely send this one to the BBC wildlife contest, will you?

Congratulations!

Registered on March 25, 2004, 18 Posts, 60 Comments

Comment posted by Barrie Harwood on March 26, 2004 at 5:13 AM

I cannot imagine behavioural photography being any better than this. Superb photograph of a very rarely observed moment.

Barrie

Registered on November 22, 2003, 3 Posts, 10 Comments

Comment posted by Herman Blockx on March 26, 2004 at 6:54 AM

Yes! Yes! Yes!
far out capture!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 238 Posts, 760 Comments

Comment posted by Tam Stuart on March 26, 2004 at 10:03 AM

What a shot! AAAAWESOME!

Registered on November 17, 2003, 113 Posts, 1600 Comments

Comment posted by G Pappas on March 26, 2004 at 10:36 AM

Wonderful and rare image! I love the story also. I'm glad that you got some great shots after all that you endured. Congratulations.

Registered on February 14, 2004, 11 Posts, 37 Comments

Comment posted by Norbert on March 26, 2004 at 1:52 PM

A winner, never seen something like this!!!!!! Amazing shot, congratulations!!

Norbert

Registered on November 17, 2003, 1 Posts, 3 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Bowden on March 26, 2004 at 1:55 PM

Breathtaking!

Registered on January 13, 2004, 143 Posts, 168 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Creasser on March 26, 2004 at 2:07 PM

Fantastic image Rene, the head in the snow is just incredible.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 31 Posts, 469 Comments

Comment posted by Ott Luuk on March 26, 2004 at 3:02 PM

now who the hell wants to open bisquit packets at a moments like this? this would surely go under sabotage

Registered on November 1, 2003, 102 Posts, 348 Comments

Comment posted by Dhruba K Sapkota on March 26, 2004 at 3:39 PM

Wau........really outstanding capture, congrats.
Dhruba K Sapkota

Registered on November 20, 2003, 25 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Brian E. Small on March 26, 2004 at 6:04 PM

This is me speechless..............

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

Comment posted by Paula Graham on March 26, 2004 at 6:09 PM

Sensasional

Registered on November 1, 2003, 34 Posts, 902 Comments

Comment posted by Daniella T. on March 27, 2004 at 1:13 AM

wow! there are some striking photos here tonight...I go from hoooo to ahhhh and ohhh :) this is amazing really! what a nice behavior shot!

it is really sharp and no distracting background. I love the lift of snow that suggest the motion.

Registered on January 9, 2004, 41 Posts, 512 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Bergmann on March 27, 2004 at 7:05 AM

<i>Comment posted by Jim Zipp on Thu, 03/25/04 at 4:03 pm ET
Fantastic image Rene!! I'm wondering, what attracts them to this area?</i>

Jim, the eagles are clearly baited. And I'm pretty sure that Jari Peltomaki is responisble for the settings.

Rene, sexy image!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 17 Posts, 239 Comments

Comment posted by Juza on March 27, 2004 at 3:39 PM

Hi Rene,
wow

An image *poweful* as few others

Congratulations, you can be really proud!!!

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

Comment posted by Nicolas Brusselaer on March 27, 2004 at 5:10 PM

Just incredible ...

Registered on November 1, 2003, 23 Posts, 85 Comments

Comment posted by Marcos Veiga on April 3, 2004 at 4:15 AM

Astonishing perfect!!
Very well done, congrats.

Marcos Veiga
Spain
<a href="http://www.marcosveiga.com" target="_blank">Marcos Veiga</a>

Registered on December 28, 2003, 0 Posts, 21 Comments

Comment posted by Dottie Short on January 10, 2012 at 1:18 PM

I was looking for a gem today and I think the story is better than the image. And the image is pretty darn good too. The female looks as if she has been rolled over and ironed flat;))

Registered on April 12, 2010, 61 Posts, 375 Comments