Edmonds Eagles 2018-2019

[Bill Anderson]

The city manager of Mountlake Terrace asked if the city could use one of my eagle photos for the city's new website. I could not find any suitable photos of the Lake Ballinger pair in my archives, so my family and I went over to Lake Ballinger Sunday afternoon (11-11-18) hoping to find them on their spar. Only one was present when we first arrived.

The second one flew in after I began shooting.

 

[Bill Anderson]

My son and I saw no eagles when we drove around Pt. Edwards Monday afternoon (11-12-18), but one was perched on the family tree after we arrived at the marsh.

We walked out on the fishing pier and heard the screeching of gulls, which signaled the arrival of the eagle at the marina.

I have heard the term "ambush predator" when referring to large cats like lions and cheetahs, which hide in the brush, then stalk and run down their prey. I wonder if ambush predator would apply to an eagle.

The eagle took off from its perch and flew very low over the Sound.

It approached a floating bird from behind.

 

[Bill Anderson]

If the bird had any cognizance of the approaching eagle, it was too late.

It was difficult to identify the prey as the eagle toted it back to shore.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Tuesday afternoon (11-13-18) the alarm cries of gulls at the marina alerted me to an oncoming eagle.

The eagle flew over the marsh and perched on the tall spar on the fish hatchery grounds where I have photographed them in the past drying off after a bath in Willow Creek.

The eagle appeared to be eating something it had been carrying.

I was going to drive over to the hatchery for some closer shots, but got distracted by a flock of red-winged blackbirds. By the time the blackbirds flew off, the eagle had finished eating.

 

[Bill Anderson]

While I was at the marsh Friday afternoon (11-23-18), the Pt. Edwards pair was screeching it up from their tree atop Pine St. Construction of the new condos below the tree has not bothered them, although the condos are not yet occupied.

The larger size of the female (left) can clearly be seen in this photo.

This is the pair's season for R&R before they begin work on producing new offspring next year.

 

[Bill Anderson]

One of the Pt. Edwards eagles was perched on the piling near the ferry terminal Saturday afternoon (11-24-18). It made a couple of flyovers and swoops between the fishing pier and ferry dock.

One bird floating on the water was not about to be dinner and dove under.

The eagle returned to its perch and did some screeching.

 

[Bill Anderson]

A few minutes later the eagle made two close flybys past the fishing pier before heading south. I think it may have been looking for bait thrown out into the water by crab fishermen who were getting ready to leave for the day.

 

[Bill Anderson]

One of the Pt. Edwards eagles made a lap over the marsh Tuesday morning (11-27-18).

 

[Bill Anderson]

It landed in the boat yard on the other side of the railroad tracks.....

then took off with something in its talons and flew south around Pt. Edwards.

 

[Bill Anderson]

An eagle perched atop the spar at Hutt Park Tuesday afternoon (12-4-18). Taken from a long ways away at the marina with the 7DII + 500L tel;ephoto + 2x III teleconverter.

The Hutt Park pair is currently a mystery. They had a nest in Hutt Park, then abandoned it 4-5 years ago and built another one about two blocks north in a tree in someone's backyard. That nest produced eaglets for a year or two, then it was abandoned as well. I think the pair is still in the area, but I don't know where the nest is.

 

[72Prep]

Wow. Isn't that a couple miles away?

 

[Bill Anderson]

Wow. Isn't that a couple miles away?

Yes it is. The Canon 7DII + 500L telephoto lens+ 2x III teleconverter gives me a full frame equivalent focal length of 1600mm (32x in mirrorless camera terms).

My usual super telephoto setup is my Canon 5DIII + 500L telephoto lens+ 2x III teleconverter, which gives me 1000mm focal length or 20x. I only use the crop frame 7DII with the super telephoto set-up on very sunny days as it cannot handle high ISO settings like my full frame 5DIII.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Tuesday afternoon (12-18-18) what looked like a three year old sub adult flew over the Sound off Sunset Ave., scattering some birds that were floating on the water in the process. I was eating lunch in my pickup and could only get some grab shots after it flew over me heading northeast.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Sunday afternoon (12-30-18 ) my son and I went down to Marina Beach Park to look for dunlin. I trained the 5DIII + 500L telephoto + 2x III teleconverter about a mile south south for any eagles perched on the structures at Pt. Wells, a place where I have photographed them in the past.

If you look hard, you can see an eagle perched on a mast or light pole. I don't know if it is one of the pair that has the nest at Deer Creek or yet another pair that nests along the Sound somewhere south of Woodway.

One of the Pt. Edwards pair flew by and perched in a tree on the bluff just south of the off leash dog park.

 

[Bill Anderson]

A juvie eagle flew over the snow covered waterfront Saturday (2-9-19) morning.

It or another one just like it made several passes over Sunset Ave. later in the afternoon. The branches in the tree are indicative of how bad the wind was.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Sunday afternoon (2-17-19) the Pt. Edwards eagles were back at their perch on the tree at the top of Pine St. So far the new condos directly below the tree has not bothered them, but I don't believe the condo complex is fully occupied as of yet. I did see what may be some new residents out photographing the pair.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Wednesday afternoon (2-20-19) an adult and two juvies flew southbound over Sunset Ave. while I was sitting in my pickup. I jumped out in time for some shots.

 

[Bill Anderson]

A pair of adults was perched in a tree on Hanna Park Rd. off Caspers St. at the north end of Sunset Ave.

Gotta go!

It's lonely at the top.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Thursday morning (2-21-19) I was giving my son and I gave my wife the Edmonds eagle tour while we were waiting for her car to get out of the shop. One of the Pt. Edwards pair was perched in a tree off Pine St. downhill of the new condos.

I thought I saw one circling over the marsh, but it was just a red-tailed hawk, a winter visitor to Edmonds.

My son and I finishes the day photographing birds and trains at Brackett's Landing North. I used the 5DIII + 500L telephoto + 2.0x III teleconverter to photograph a northbound train approaching Picnic Pt. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the photos on the computer that I saw an eagle surrounded by crows on the Shell Creek spit.

Lead engines.

This is the rear of the train. The rear "helper" engines are remote controled by radio by the engineer in the lead engine.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Wednesday afternoon (3-13-19) I was following up on an eagle sighting by a friend when I spotted this sub adult perched in a tall fir on Hanna Park Rd., which is near Sunset Ave. I am guessing it is a third year bird.