A Death Stare: A Close Up Encounter with the Long-crested Eagle

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There are always rare moments that you only capture in its fleeting nature. That is, you cannot relive the moment, and once it happens, it happens really quickly.

When birds of prey land on our roof, or visit the trees where they might find a snack, it happens so quickly that you cannot get the camera ready quickly enough. So, I always leave these moments uncaptured, living in the moment, and just letting it go.

But there are these moments where the fleeting nature still there, is only momentarily extended, giving you just enough time to capture moments that few will ever see.

I took some photographs of the Long-crested Eagle, or I think it is this eagle, and the close ups were rather striking, capturing the bird's death stare and its fierce nature.

Unfortunately, the reason why these birds can be captured this close up, is because something happened to them and they cannot be released back into the wild. The wild can be beautiful but it is always brutal.

Here, I want to share with you the beauty of this eagle, up close, and personal.

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The above photograph shows the handler handling the bird. Again, it is sad to see these birds of prey reduced to show-things, but it is also important work they are doing. But when we think about it for a while, a while too long, the gravity of the situation hits us like a freight train.

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But as I said, the work they are doing is important. These birds are kept alive, and safe. In the wild, they would have died instantly. Here, they can teach, they can possibly bread new birds, or help birds that do not have parents. The situation is sad, period. But in this sad situation, they can help to some extent and degree.

By photographing them, in some sense, I can also help spread awareness of the situation. Not in any big way, but we can begin a discussion, a strange way in which we can make this topic relevant. The powers that be, the system that we find ourselves in, is of such a nature that we as individuals cannot really do anything. But if I can photograph them, at these events, and illustrate their beauty, maybe we can begin to plant seeds...

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In the end, the beauty of these magical creatures always touches my heart. I am not always sure if I like these feelings. But I am just happy that I could witness them so close up, and that my camera also actually worked. Sometimes my autofocus does not play along, but here it worked.

For now, I hope you enjoyed these photographs and that you could think along with me about their situation.

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All of the photographs used in this post are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens. The musings and writings are also my own, albeit inspired by the beauty and magical aura of these birds of prey.

photography eagle longcrested birdsofprey closeup bird wildlife photographs
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15 comments
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Certainly a great bird post, and the bird sanctuaries are doing great work to preserve the birds.
Incidentally, I got an immature African Harrier Hawk on camera that I will post next week.
!BEER

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I think I saw the post, but will definitely go and check again. So sad that we live in a time where we need these sanctuaries…

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Great, for the past few days the hawk arrives here at the same time if day. So, I got many more shots of it.
The sanctuaries have been around for a long time, and they do important work. Recently a poisoned Elephant died, and more than 100 vultures died after eating from the carcass. Mankind is certainly destroying everything in sight.
!BEER

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(Edited)

That first shot is fabulous! I can understand your mixed feelings on this. I share them.

I've written a couple poems about birds of prey. Here's one that speaks to some of what you say here.

Free Will

A sniper’s bullet
is guided by a perfect aim
as it closes in on a life,
just as I near those many lives
I will quell.

I was once cold, tired, wet
and always hungry
very hungry.
My brains were in my eyes,
my eyes were my trigger,
and I was free.

These days I am pampered in a prison.

I could choose to keep flying,
to never return,
to fly at will again.

But I don’t.

Perched on the edge of new understanding,
I now kill on command
then wait for meat to be placed at my feet.

My drive has been redirected,
not diminished.
My life has been altered,
not made worse.
I am but the bullet,
no longer the sniper.

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Here's another, or a collections of smaller pieces, among my best I think:

Fuel

trapped in the clear blue empty sky
farsighted, hot-headed
sacred

love quickens

love compels me
to dive
to pierce
to kill

hush

She

no haggard
but caught, valiant
in an unseen snare
and no bloody end
no

jessed instead
hooded instead
waiting
breathing
listening
rapt

Uncle

a day old chick
is offered me
I, still wild
tethered to your wrist and hungry
refuse

we wait while you wake me

Bullies

wings and wine and wild things
disturb my afternoon nap

genuine, unkind wild things
shift their weight
then linger
the brutes

I rise to greet them
a conquistador vanquished
a lover lost

my stomach growling
I rise

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Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing your words and poetry. I really enjoyed reading them!

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Folks are trying their utmost best with limited resources to work with wildlife, great respect to those able. Raptures are majestic when witnessed in mountain region, more often than not the numbers are dwindling.

!BEER

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