Eagles at Lock and Dam 14

Last Sunday, January 19, I spent the day taking Bald Eagle pictures at Lock and Dam 14 (or L&D 14) on the Mississippi River near Le Claire, IA (near Bettendorf and Davenport). It's about a four-hour drive for me, but worth it for a chance to get lots of photo opportunities with the Eagles. I've been here several times before (see previous post), and I've found that January is the best time. The river is largely frozen this year and the Eagles concentrate below the dams where they can catch fish. There were more Eagles at L&D 13 this day, but the viewing platform at L&D 14 is much better for photography. There were over 100 people from all over the country and Canada, shoulder-to-shoulder taking photos and watching the Eagles. There is plenty of space to take photos on the platform and along the river bank, but the parking lot does get full. A good Eagle photo day for me at this location is cold, sunny, and the wind from the West or Southwest. I watch the weather and go when the conditions are right. The best light is from about 1:00 - 3:30 in the afternoon, but I like to get there in the morning to get a good spot for photos. I bring a stool, my lunch, dress warm, put toe warmers in my boots and spend the day taking photos and chatting with the other photographers. I have one camera and telephoto lens on a tripod for the distance shots and one hand-held to get overhead shots and flying behind me. Here are just a few shots from the day.
Click the images below to see a larger image.
There are more Eagle photos here.

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