Eagles and Lighthouse Photo Workshop Update
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| Vickie and I are looking forward to seeing you at our exciting workshop this weekend. As a reminder, we’ll meet at 2 p.m. at the hotel before heading to the lighthouse. Your room is registered in your name and you’ll need to give them a credit card to cover any incidentals. The actual room charge is covered by your workshop registration fee and we will be paying that.
A special thanks to Ritz Camera for supplying four super-telephoto lenses and tripods. If you need to buy stuff, get it from them.
A couple of technical things that you will want to get straight before you come. If you don’t know how to set your camera up, dig into the user guide now, don’t wait and waste time fiddling with settings while eagles are buzzing around. You will want to set your camera to shoot at the fastest frames-per-second that it can. Set it on burst or continuous shooting mode Auto focus: ISO: If we don’t have a clear day, we may need to bump our ISO higher so we can also get a fast shutter speed. Know what the highest ISO you can use and get acceptable quality for your camera. Do some quick test shots and look at them in your computer. Exposure: We’ll show you why you should use Manual exposure. Shutter speed: If you want to stop the action of the flying eagle, then you’ll need to shoot no slower than 1/500 sec. and 1/1000 is better. We will have five super telephotos on tripods with gimbal heads, thanks to Ritz Camera. Even when shooting with a 70-200mm, we use a tripod and highly recommend you do too. Make sure you have a flashlight or headlamp for our evening at the lighthouse. We’ll be out there shooting when most people will think it is dark, but we’ll come away with some cool shots. - Know how to set your camera on Bulb for our light painting shots.
The early forecast says there is a chance of rain, I hoping they are wrong as usual. We suggest you bring a big umbrella and make sure you have covering for your camera. We’ll have the big lenses, thanks Ritz, covered but you’ll need to make sure your camera is protected. I also suggest bringing a couple of micro-fiber clothes. I use a couple of different ones, an expensive one that I bought at Eastern Mountain Sports and cheap dish cloth ones I got at the grocery. The expensive one is bigger. I also suggest rain pants. I’m a firm believer that the more rain gear I bring the less likely it is to actually rain.
Here’s some info on eagles that was assembled by Lisa Lacasse, one of our participants from Vermont. Thanks Lisa for sharing this:
Eagles – When photographing animals/birds it’s important to know about the animal, their characteristics, their habits, their food source, how they fly, where they perch etc. It gives you more insight into your subject and you can start to watch for some of the behaviors and know where to look to find them and perhaps anticipate their next move.
- Bald Eagles are one of the largest birds in the Northeast with a wingspan of 6-7 feet
- They hold their wings straight out while the common turkey vulture soars with its wings held in a V shape
- As an eagle passes overhead, the feathers at the tips of its wings are widely separated – and it’s fairly short tail is usually fanned open
- White head and tail, dark brown body and wings, bright orange-yellow beak and feet and lemon yellow iris
- Immatures are chocolate brown mottled with white, black beak which gradually lighted to a spotty horn color and a dark brown iris that gradually lightens to pale yellow
- Keen eyesight – they have vision about 5x sharper than our own
- Eagles can spot a rabbit up to a mile away - Eagles also have excellent depth perception
- They can see another eagle soaring nearly 50 miles away
- The talons/claws on an eagles toes are curved and razor sharp for grabbing and holding onto their prey
- They have rough bumps on their toes that help hold slippery fish
- They have a hooked beak
- Adult eagles have yellow eyes – the immature birds have darker brown iris’
- Female and Male eagles look identical – same white head - tough to tell apart unless you measure the bill and rear claw although, most females are the larger of the two
- They don’t usually dive but if they do they can reach speeds of 75 mph – they catch prey by flying low and snatching with their feet mostly
- Eagles can live in the wild between 20-30 years
Diets - Mainly fish
- They will also feed on waterfowl, small mammals and even turtles
- They watch the water surface from their perch or while soaring – then swoop down close to the water and drop their feet into the water to catch fish
- Eagles will often steal fish from other birds (especially osprey)
- They also eat carrion – dead animals like deer
- Carrion is important in their diets during the winter months – but many get hit by cars while feasting on road kill
Eagles Soar and Migration - They ride on vertically spiraling columns of warm air (thermals)
- This conserves energy and they can travel up to 20 min per hour
- Eagles bones are hollow which also help them when soaring and flying
- Eagles are leisurely migrators – they ride wind currents traveling 100-125 miles per day
- They typically hunt in the morning and migrate in the afternoon when the thermals are more likely to occur
- Once the eagle arrives at its destination, it settles in for a relaxing winter roosting and waiting for its life cycle to begin all over
Size - Eagles can have a wingspan of 7-8 feet
- They have a wide and rudder like tail
- The total weight of an eagle skeletal system is only half the weight of it’s feathers (those hollow bones again)
Mating Ritual – Sky Dance - Death defying aerial displays – the male and female will lock talons and tumble toward earth breaking apart just before they hit the ground – the flip over repeatedly while plummeting towards the earth
- It almost looks like a mid air battle – they duel, dive, wrestle, arc across the sky and screech constantly
- Bald eagles will usually mate for life – although they will replace a mate who dies
- Pairs unable to produce offspring may separate and seek other mates
Nest Building - Bald eagle relationships center around nest building
- 1st time mates spend weeks on construction but long time partners expand their nest by adding insulating materials
- They tend to use the same nest year after year and they are usually at the top of the canopy
- Each spring they repair and build the next until it meets their approval
- The largest nest recorded was in Florida - 18 feet in diameter and weighed 3 tons
- Most nests are 5-8 feet in diameter
- If an eagles nest is destroyed for any reason, they are known to build a new one close by
- Bonded pairs must often compete for nest sites
- They need suitable trees that will hold the nest as well as access to open water and other food sources – they will defend chosen areas against others
Babies - The female lays 1-3 eggs – each a day apart
- Incubation begins immediately with the female sitting on the nest most of the time
- The male will do most of the hunting
- In about 35 days the 1st egg will hatch – once the chicks hatch they require constant attention and protection from the elements and both parents share with these responsibilities
- The 1st eaglet will have a head start on the second or third chick. The larger chick will peck and attack the smaller chicks and eat most of the food. Many 2nd and 3rd hatchlings fail to live beyond the first 2 weeks
- Eagle chicks grow faster than any other North American bird
- At 6 weeks old, a healthy chick should weigh between 8-9 lbs
- 1-3 eggs are usually laid in early spring
- Eagle eggs are plain white and similar in size to a goose egg
- The female incubate the egg for approx. 35 days
- The male shares in incubating the eggs or brings food to his mate
- There is almost always at least one adult on the next for the first 2 weeks
- Eaglets are never left unattended for longYoung eagles start to fledge (leave the nest) around 10-12 weeks – they stay with their parents for another 1-2 months to learn more flying skills and feeding skills
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Locations:Hotel: Comfort Inn & Suites at 1 Center Drive, North East, MD, 21901. GPS location: 39.626495, -75.950648 It is right off I-95, so it is very easy access.
Lighthouse: Concord Point Lighthouse, 700 Concord St., Havre de Grace, MD 21078. GPS: 39.540683, -76.084780
Restaurant Saturday Night: Tidewater Grille, 300 Franklin St, Havre de Grace, MD. GPS: 39.550652, -76.089447
Conowingo Dam Fisherman’s Parking: 2559 Shureslanding Rd., Darlington, MD 21034. GPS: 39.655155, -76.173744
Conowingo Visitor’s Center: 4948 Conowingo Rd., Conowingo, MD GPS: 39.655461, -76.178346
The schedule: Saturday, Dec. 6. 2 p.m., meet at hotel 3 p.m., hotel check-in 4 p.m., meet at lighthouse 6:30 p.m., dinner Sunday 6 a.m. breakfast 6:30 a.m., leave for dam Noon, workshop completed
Things you’ll need: - Camera and all your lenses
- Tripod
- Remote shutter release (We suggest a wired one rather than wireless)
- Extra camera batteries and charger. Make sure they are topped off for Sunday.
- Extra memory cards
- If you don’t want to share a super-telephoto lens, you might rent one. You can get them at Ritz Camera (our workshop sponsor)
- If you aren’t completely familiar with your camera, bring your operator’s manual.
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Warm clothing (not cotton)
- Warm boots
- Extra gloves
- Rain gear for yourself and your camera
- Snack for Sunday morning
Loren’s cell phone: 908-229-3447
Vickie's cell phone: 202-905-5993 |
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Loren's upcoming workshops
• Jan. 17, 2015: Getting the Most out of Lightroom Somerville, NJ
• Feb. 6-9, 2015: Vermont Winter Wonderland Photography Workshop Woodstock, VT
• March 15-20, 2015: Spring in Florida Photography Workshop Florida West Coast
• April 10-12, 2015: Cherry Blossom Photography Workshop Washington, DC
• June 1-5, 2015: Acadia National Park Photography Workshop Bar Harbor, Maine
• Oct. 2-6, 2015: Vermont Fall Foliage Photography Workshop Woodstock, VT
• Oct. 8-11, 2015: Vermont Fall Foliage Photography Workshop Woodstock, VT
Vickie's upcoming workshops
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