Resident Eagles
Millerton Lake
Dale Matson
Click On Photographs To Enlarge
I’m getting the itch to photograph
eagles at Millerton Lake again now that the hiking and backpacking season is drawing
to a close. In spite of the fact that we had a month of smoke from fires this
summer, it was a great season for wilderness photos and new locations that
included the Sierra Glaciers near Big Pine CA.
There are what I would call two “hot
spots” at Millerton where I can generally find a bald eagle or two on the
Fresno County Side of Millerton near the Courthouse. I guess you could call
them the “legal eagles”. There is another resident pair of bald eagles that
hang out further upstream.
The other hot spot is not a ‘drive
by’, but a long hike and steep climb to find the golden eagles soaring and
stooping along the cliffs on the Madera side of Millerton Lake. They are
creatures of habit and daily show up about the same time from their roost site
elsewhere when the thermals are optimal for soaring. They are shyer than the bald eagles and
it is rare to get a photo when they are perched. Additionally, they like to soar
among the trees along the cliff as they hunt for prey which makes it difficult for photos or video.
As usual, eagles see me before I
see them and they may or may not appear as it strikes their fancy. Eagles are the
monarchs of the sky and as I watch them soar, I envy their grace, beauty and
mastery of flying.
The seasonal visitors to Millerton Lake from Great
Slave Lake in Canada are probably getting ready to make their annual trip to
Millerton and should arrive sometime in December depending on the weather conditions
in Canada. When they arrive, eagles can be sighted in several locations along
the lake. In a way I am somewhat migratory also since I don’t look for eagles
much in Summer at Millerton Lake and spend much of my time in the eastern
Sierra Nevada.
God willing, I will be back on the
eastern side of the Sierra in early Spring looking for Sierra Nevada Bighorn
Sheep to photograph before they move back to the western side of the Sierra
crest.
All of these photos were taken in a
single day at Millerton and represent about 5 hours of effort in two locations.
Next Two Taken Morning Of 10-5-18
Golden Eagles In Flight Below
Golden Eagle Video Below
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