Birds on the River

For this week's post, I attempted to photograph "birds in flight" using a 500mm telephoto lens.  Having never used a lens this long before, I can tell you that it is no simple task, especially when you're on the river with 10-20 mph winds.

The day's photoshoot centered around "Eagle Days" at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.  While the weather was great, the number of Bald Eagles within my camera's range was less than expected.  

Here's my best Bald Eagle photo:

Despite the Bald Eagle shortage, there were plenty of Ring-Billed Gulls to go around.  These birds are fun to watch.  They would hover right above the rapids created by the chain of rocks in the Mississippi River, waiting for the right opportunity to dive down and pluck a fish out of the water.

I can't say I love this photo (doesn't help that the trainer's eyes are closed), but I do like that you can see the detail of the Eagle's head and talons.
While my first "Eagle Scouting" trip didn't yield the photo results I had hoped for, I'll definitely be going back again!