Quite a number of years ago, 2011 to be precise, I hiked to the end of a Quabbin Gate, 15 to be precise, and set up to photograph this island on a foggy morning. The longest lens I had at the time was my Canon 300 f/4 which still wasn’t even close enough to the length I would have needed to get a nice large image of the eagle which dropped in while I was composing the scene. Believe me, I did not say “shoo birdie”.
Shot with the 5D “Mark I” and aforementioned 300mm lens, the file which is a pano of five images is just too pixelated when cropped in for a closer look and make the eagle more recognizable but have I ever lied to you? 🙂
This is my lone eagle shot. One day I may get a closer chance as we have a nice population of them for being inland and considering that they were nonexistent here just a few decades ago (blame DDT). Massachusetts Wildlife undertook a project to reintroduce them and it was very successful.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
I love the image. It’s actually more fitting that on a foggy morning the eagle remains somewhat of a “mystery.” The important thing is that this image is a reminder of a special moment when you were entranced by the eagle flying in unexpectedly to complete the story. I love it.
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Of course most viewers would neither grasp the story nor recognize the bird, but as you say it is a fond memory for me and an image I am happy with as well. Thanks, Bob. Glad that it resonates with you.
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I agree, I love the mystery of this shrouded image. There is a dark spot I am imagining to be the eagle, and that makes me very happy. They have returned to my area, too. Every now and then a large bird soaring over the river will tilt, and sunlight will flash on the white tail any my heart will leap.
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It is exciting to see that flash of white as they soar above. The dark spot atop a tree is indeed the eagle. They are such majestic birds.
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Aren’t they? There is much to fret about these days but it is hard not to smile when I see one of these soaring above.
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I see it! I saw a pair just upriver here last week, still a thrill. 🙂
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My friend up in Maine who loves moose sees dozens to hundreds of them but still gets a thrill each time. I don’t see that many eagles but it is a moment of excitement when I do. Thanks, Eliza!
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That day will come. They’re plentiful here and lots of photographers get very nice views. But there’s nothing like a foggy pano! 😉
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True enough. I might guess that this is a shot unique to me and my time at the end of the road here. The fact that there is an eagle is icing. 🙂 Thanks, Lynn.
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Took me a sec, but I found him. Love your moody pano, Steve.
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Thanks, Jane! I guess mentioning will draw attention where he might otherwise have not been noticed. Of course the title does give it away. 🙂
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Very impressive! I like the entire landscape shrouded in mist. Superbly executed, Steve!
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Thanks, Peter. I often walked much of the brook that empties into the reservoir here but this was my first visit to the end and it was more than well worth it.
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Enlarging the image revealed just how lovely it is. In the enlargement, the eagle is obvious, although whether I would have assumed ‘eagle’ just by seeing the image I’m not sure. It conveys a sense of sweet serenity.
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The image has to be very large to identify the eagle and at the resolution here an amorphous pixelated blob. In a way, I think it’s best that the eagle be a bit mysterious as Bob mentioned for the overall feel of the image.
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Beautiful, although, living in the shaky isles as I do, my first quick glance at this image made me think of the stylised seismograph at the top of this page. http://quakelive.co.nz/ That a scene so serene should make me think of something so shaky is bizarre!
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It’s hard to say where our visual associations come from, but your mention of seismographs seems apt enough. And as you mention the frequency of ground shaking events there it makes sense as well.
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Oh, you have a 5D I too. The photos from that camera had a nice clarity to them and a bit of that was lost in subsequent models. I went to a talk from a guy who pointed that out and therefore chose the I for the project he was speaking about. I have the II, III & IV! Guess I really like the 5D! I take them all with me with different lenses mounted on each so I don’t have to change lenses so much. I love the foggy look here!
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The 5D was a huge upgrade from the 10D I started digital with. And the 10D was a downgrade from the F1n that I shot with in my film days. But the 10D got me going into digital which Kodak prodded me to do by destroying a roll of transparencies from a trip to Acadia. A free roll of film didn’t really make up for that.
I already carry too much in my bag so one camera travels with me locally. The 5D II is my backup when I go to Maine. I also like the 5D series but never used any from the 1D series. I was tempted recently to try the 5DR but decided food (and marital bliss) was more important. 🙂
Thanks. A foggy landscape is my happy place.
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Ha! I had the 10D too, then the 40D then the 5DII, III, IV. My film camera was the Canon FTB … no auto anything. I am usually shooting not too far from the car so I can grab whichever camera/lens combo works without changing lenses too often.
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I still use the 40D for insect photography in the yard. Coupled with the 100 macro and twin flash it’s a good tool for chasing them around.
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I was thinking about it and remembered it was the 6D I had first in 2003.
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I like the misty and mysterious landscape. I spotted where the eagle was – hope you manage to get closer some day!
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I have seen them closer but never with a camera, Ann. I have a friend who just goes into the Quabbin and sits patiently waiting for wildlife to happen by. That works much better than hoping to be lucky. 🙂
Thanks!
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Good place to spend a few hours quietly, I’m sure!
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Glad to hear of the successful reintroduction of the eagles. They are a marvel to watch, whether we’re able to photograph them or not.
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It is a great success story for sure, Todd. We almost wiped them out but they’re back.
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