What’s Going On?

We had been hearing that the eagles were at the Eagle Tree near Wendell, Idaho, early this year. There was a lot going on, and we had a hard time making plans to go. By the time we made it out there, we had been told that most of the bald eagles had already moved on for the season.

Fortunately, a few eagles hadn’t received the memo yet.

The wind was rough that evening. I know what you’re thinking—Idaho, when isn’t the wind rough? Photographing eagles with a long lens in high wind is challenging, but life is about the challenge, right? We spent some time watching them come and go and looking for opportunities to create images as they soared around and then perched in the trees.

While reviewing my images, I discovered this eagle. He caught my attention because of the way he cocked his head while looking down from the branches. I have no idea what he was actually thinking, but the expression seemed to be asking, “What’s going on?”

That’s what I enjoy about wildlife photography. Sometimes it’s not the action or the perfect pose that makes an image memorable. Sometimes it’s a small gesture or expression that gives an animal a little personality.

I later printed What’s Going On? for the Twin Falls County Fair and entered it in the professional photography division, where it received a third-place ribbon.