Today’s post features a long sequence of images I captured of a mid-air hijacking of a fish, by a Bald Eagle. This sequence was captured a few years ago as wintering bald eagles were fishing in the Mississippi River, near LeClaire, Iowa.
Here’s the scenario …
An immature Bald Eagle spots a fish in the river and begins his approach for the capture:
With fish locked in his right leg’s talons, he emerges from the dip into the river and heads to find a suitable perch to eat his catch:
But within a blink of an eye, a nearby adult Bald Eagle spots the captured fish and begins his aerial assault to take the fish away:
Getting ever closer, the adult hones in on the catch:
Ready to make contact, the adult reaches in and grabs the fish out of the immature eagle’s talons:
Below is an enlargement of this last image:
With his newly “caught” meal, the adult heads off to enjoy his catch:
As the adult flies off, the immature bald eagle is seen following him, but quickly realizes he has lost the battle, and gives up on the chase:
And the adult Bald Eagle flies over me to a nearby tree, fish tucked under his tail feathers:
These rare moments are exciting to experience!
This week, I’ve started my wildflower hikes in the Ozarks area, so stay tuned for images that I capture during my outings. Wildflowers are just beginning to peak through the leaf clutter, so won’t be long!
Photographic Equipment Used:
- Canon 5D Mark 3 body
- Canon 100-400 mm, f/4.5 – f/5.6 IS lens + Canon 1.4X TC
- Handheld, with IS “On”
- ISO 3200
- Aperture f/11
- Shutter Speed 1/1000 sec. to 1/2500 sec.