The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is an incredibly beautiful and regal creature; and thanks to the dedication of countless individuals, the population has rebounded significantly over the last few decades. So much so, that US Fish and Wildlife declared the bird fully recovered as of 2000, but have yet to implement due to future management uncertainties. Though the bird is no longer in imminent danger, there are still some losers out there that shoot these birds simply because they can or because they are just nasty people. If you are witness to such a crime, please report it to local law enforcement as soon as possible. "Even if the US Fish and Wildlife Service removes the bald eagle from the "threatened" species list, it will still be protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act."Taken from Baldeagleinfo.com. For detailed information on the Bald Eagle please check out Baldeagleinfo.com.

In our travels to the Rocky Mountains, the Bald Eagle is no longer a rarity, rather, an encounter we look forward to time and time again. This day was full of weather, with occasional pockets of sun. When we spotted this nest we decided to wait it out for just the right image. We waited, and waited, and waited some more. Then, as the sun began to peak out, I noticed a piece of fuzz on my lens. I pulled off my lens and attempted to clean it, but it just kept getting worse as more pieces of lint began to move around the surface of the lens. The sun was getting closer, and my lens was getting fuzzy. Finally, I found my lens cleaning solution and managed to get the lens reasonably clean before the clouds took control of the situation. Click, click, click. I must have taken two rolls before the female flew off and the youngster hunkered down in the nest.

Upon returning home I was very interested as to how these images would come out. Through the lens they looked outstanding. I was very pleased to see that the final product was as I had imagined.

A very curious thing; a few days before I took this image, we witnessed a Bald Eagle in Lamar Valley that landed in the grass covered valley bottom and just sat there. We could see this bird from probably two miles away with our spotting scope. Just sitting there. The eagle sat there in the grass for at least an hour, maybe longer. It was an interesting observation.