Eagles on the Skagit River

The Skagit river has been identified as one of the top 25 eagle viewing sites in the US and Canada by BirdersWorldMagazine. Just 90 minutes north of Seattle lie the towns of Rockport and Marblemont on the Skagit river with several viewing stations to enjoy one of natures spectacles. Always on the look out for eagle photo opportunities, Beth and I were able to take advantage of our Christmas holiday visit with the grandchildren in Seattle and take a drive to the Skagit. Peak times for viewing are early to mid January. While we were early in the cycle we did see about a dozen eagles perched in the trees and on the shore of the river enjoying a feast of pink and coho salmon. I had only 2 hours to photoshoot and unfortunately the light was poor due to a gray overcast sky, but I was able to get a few good photographs. The short visit whet my appetite for a more prolonged trip when we return to Seattle next year.

Screaming Eagle

Pole Vault

Double Eagles

Eagles Fishing at Conowingo

On our mid-November drive from Gloucester, MA to Silverthorne, CO for our winter sojourn, we stopped at Conowingo, Maryland. Conowingo is the home of the Conowingo Hydroelectric Dam on the Susquehanna River.  The shad fish (member of herring family) are often stunned by the rough ride thru the dam tunnels. Hundreds of bald eagles converge on the downstream river and pools to feast on the sluggish prey. I counted over 50 eagles circling overhead as I watched in amazement at the aerobatics. Adults, sub-adults and immature eagles would circle, then swoop in for a splash down catch of a fish and then air lift to a convenient spot on the rocks to enjoy the meal. Eagles can be lazy. They will often attack another eagle and attempt to steal a fish rather than fish for one on their own.

Eagle Thief

To view a triptych of an eagle catching a fish see below:

Lunch on the Fly

Award

I am pleased to mention that I have been honored with a Second Place award at the Arts Alive Gallery Small Format Show in Breckenridge, CO. The award is for the image “Lynx Love” taken in Denali National Park in our recent trip to Alaska. See post on story behind Lynx Love.

Lynx Love

Lynx Love

A large cat-like creature crossed the road ahead of me, and I knew immediately it must be a lynx. My wife, Beth, and I were in Denali National Park in Alaska, driving slowly along the fifteen mile stretch of road on which cars are allowed and had just passed the first viewpoint of Denali Mountain. I was convinced the creature that I had seen 200 feet ahead of us was a lynx – though I’ve never seen a lynx before.

Oh, how I have dreamed of seeing one in the wild and maybe even photographing one on a rare day. They are secretive and elusive creatures. But based on rumors of high lynx activity in the area (snowshoe hare population was rising) I knew that it had to be a lynx. My very first sighting!

First viewpoint of Denali on the public road in the Park

I stepped on the accelerator, simultaneously grabbing my camera and rolling down the window. Seconds later when we arrived at the location of the sighting, the lynx was still on the left shoulder. As I raised the camera, it darted into the bush – the only image I captured was a butt disappearing into the woods. I stepped out of the car (there were no other cars in sight) and walked around the area hoping to see it, again. Then it suddenly darted back across the road only 10 yards in front of me, so quickly, that I did not even have time to raise my camera before it disappeared into the brush.

Wow, I thought – my first and only encounter with a lynx and I missed the shot. What was the probability of my seeing another lynx in the wild – very small, I thought. What bad luck!

Dejected, I got back in the car, and we drove on. Then suddenly the whole scene repeated itself like a film rewound and re-played.  Another lynx darted across the road, again I sped up to the location, and again the lynx was gone–another photoshot missed. Another car approaching in the opposite direction stopped since they saw the lynx, too. We chatted for a few seconds. As we chatted, that lynx bolted across the road, behind my back. I never saw it. The folks in the car saw it all. Collectively we walked along the shoulder for a few hundred feet hoping for another sighting. But, no luck. Finally, we drove on, simultaneously excited about the sighting, but upset that I, once again, missed my opportunity of photographing a lynx. What bad luck!

We drove to the Savage River Canyon parking area. This is the end of the road for public cars. While the road continues another 85 miles into Denali National Park, cars aren’t allowed on it; the only way forward is on foot, special permitted vehicles and tour buses. We turned around and started back towards the entrance to the Park.

Dall Sheep overlooking Savage River Canyon, Denali National Park

As we approached the location of the last sighting, there before my very eyes is a photographer standing along the road photographing into the brush. I needed no debriefing to know what was happening. I pulled over, grabbed my 500mm lens, and stepped up to the lone photographer. Sure enough there was “my Lynx” hunkered down in the brush about 100-150 feet from the road partially hidden by bushes. Fortunately, it poked its head up clear of the obstructions and I took this shot:

Lynx in the bush

Within minutes a crowd gathered. Over the next 30 minutes, I counted over 20 photographers, 3 buses of tourists with people hanging out the windows to get a picture, 5-8 cars and trucks all backed up and crowded around the site.

Photographers lined up photographing a Lynx in Denali National Park

After minutes of excitement and hundreds of images shot the lynx finally got up and moved on. As she disappeared into the bush, we saw that there was a baby lynx following her. We were electrified–a cub, glimpsed and then gone and we never got to see it or photograph it. What bad luck!

But the story doesn’t end here. I lingered as the crowd dispersed, and the mother and kit reappeared and curled up to relax under the shade of a tree. While they were a long distance away (200-250 feet) and the light was shaded, it was a clear shot of the two of them. I watched and photographed in amazement for the next hour as mother and cub interacted and posed for the cameras.

My lucky day!

Lynx Love

Remember to wash your face

End of story

Rich Seeley

richard@seeley.com

www.richardseeleyphotography.com

978 985 5475

Alaska – Wildlife at Every Turn

Salmon-To-Go

In September, Beth and I traveled through Alaska. The first part of the trip was in Katmai National Park on the Alaskan Peninsula to photograph the grizzly bears on the Brooks River.  We stayed at the Brooks Camp in a cabin practically on the river. Access is by float plane since the Brooks Camp is on a remote lake.  We were there for 4 days watching and photographing the grizzly bears as they fished for the sockeye salmon. The bears arrive at this time of the year for the salmon run. Its easy fishing and they have a feast. I took 1600 grizzly photos.

Spin Cycle

The second part started when we flew back to Anchorage where we rented a car and drove to Talkeetna (the model for the hit TV series Northern Exposure) for one nite. The next day we did a flightseeing tour where we flew around Denali Peak (aka McKinley). The weather was perfectly clear. There is only a 30% probability of seeing Denali. We lucked out.  We landed on a glacier – very cool.

Denali and Glacier as seen from plane

On the Glacier

Then we drove to Denali National Park where we spent 3 nites in a cabin at the entrance. We did the grueling 11 hour round trip bus ride the next day to Wonder Lake – 80 miles on a dirt road. No public cars allowed. The place is highly regulated and controlled. But we did see plenty of wildlife and I got an incredible and lucky shot of a gray wolf as it popped its head above a bush to see what all of the commotion was about.

Grey Wolf in Denali National Park

The next day we drove the 15 miles stretch again and that’s where I got a second most incredible and lucky shot – a lynx and her cub!!! Lynx are solitary and secretive animals. They are an endangered species in Colorado. Before this sighting I had never seen one. This day I saw 3 of them and one with a cub close enough to photograph. Just amazing.

A mother lynx and its cub in Denali National Park.

Cheek to Cheek

Polar Roller in the Cotton Grass

The third part of the trip was to Kaktovic. Beth flew back home from Fairbanks and I met a photo group. I had made reservation for a photo safari to photoshoot Polar Bears. We flew from Fairbanks to Barter Island on the north shore of Alaska, not far from Prudhoe Bay. We stayed in Kaktovic, an Inupiat village of 350 residents on the island. There, we photoshot polar bears for the next 3 days. Weather was poor, except for one day. There was no snow and no ice, temps in the 30’s, 40’s. The bears are landlocked until the ice pack reaches the island which is behind schedule. Then the bears travel out in search of seals. In the mean time they rely partly on the villagers for food. The villagers are allowed to hunt and harpoon (by hand) 3 bowhead whales. They butcher the whale, store the blubber and meat for the winter and dump the carcass on the bonepile at the end of the runway. The bears have a feast. This has been going on for centuries. Interesting relationship

In The Boneyard

That was our trip.

I took over 4000 images. The top 50 are posted to my website www.richardseeleyphotography.com

Cheers

Rich

Welcome

Welcome to my exciting world of wildlife and wild places. View my blog for the latest updates on our (my wife Beth is my wildlife spotter) photo adventures as we search for winning wildlife and wild place photo opportunites.