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Thursday, January 25, 2018

The Sunnyside Garden Club On The Millerton Lake Eagle Boat Tour


Dale Matson

Click On Photographs To Enlarge


Mature Bald Eagle

Sharon Matson enlisted a group of Sunnyside Garden Club Members to go on the Millerton Lake Boat tour as a charter group. For the particulars of the Eagle boat tour see my posting from last year. http://midsierramusing.blogspot.com/2017/02/millerton-lake-bald-eagle-tours.html
We had an orientation video on eagles at Millerton Lake at the historic Millerton Courthouse and then regrouped at the boat ramp for our pontoon boat ride to various locations around the lake as our expert docent Mike Smith located eagles with his binoculars. There were additional binoculars leant to tour participants that made viewing the eagles a much more meaningful experience.
Even though the morning began a bit foggy and cold, the day soon became sunny and comfortable with a layer of clothing or two removed.
Mike answered questions from the group as we went along and gave signals to officer Addison our pilot, which direction to head for the next possible eagle sighting. Two of the existing nests have been abandoned and two new nests are under construction a short distance (as the eagle flies) from the old nests.
Most of the eagles at Millerton have migrated from Great Slave Lake in Canada with only a few resident mating pairs of eagles. This trip Mike located a pair of Golden Eagles which was my first sighting at Millerton.
We had a comfort stop at a floating restroom and hot chocolate and treats too. The experience began about 8am and ended about 1pm. By my GPS, we traveled about 20 miles on the lake. After the trip, the ladies stopped in Friant for lunch before heading home. Thanks for letting me come along Sharon!
I had my Sony A7R3 with the 100-400 GM telephoto lens for photos of the birds. Most of the photos are cropped. My people photos and some landscape shots were with the Sony A600 and the 16-70 f4 SZ lens.  





 Juvenile Bald Eagle
 Gathering 
 Video Presentation
 Mike Pointing Out A Feature
 The Sunnyside Ladies

 Officer Addison
 Taking On More Fuel
 Finegold Creek
 Lava Dome

 Turn Around At Finegold Creek



 Our First Eagle Sighting (Juvenile)
 Another Juvenile Eagle
Distant Golden Eagle


 Stealth Bald Eagle
 1st New Nest
 2nd New Nest
 1st Old Nest
2nd Old Nest

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