Recently my husband and I took a drive along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, spending a couple hours driving along the wildlife drive at Blackwater NWR in Cambridge. It felt wonderful to be out and about with nature, and it had been a couple years since I had last visited. I was super-excited to say the least!
I was fortunate to get the chance to photograph several birds and a few animals, but nothing compared to the close-up opportunity of this gorgeous American Bald Eagle.
This majestic bird was conveniently perched in a tree right alongside the wildlife drive. It can’t get any better than that!
Blackwater NWR hosts over 150 American Bald Eagles during the winter, as well as hosts one of the largest breeding populations of American Bald Eagles in the country. We were fortunate to see about a dozen or so other Bald Eagles off in the distance flying, perched in trees, or on the ground along the water.
A even closer close-up……
We were preparing to move on when he/she decided to take flight.
The American Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. Once endangered by hunting and pesticides, American Bald Eagles have flourished under protection.
I still get chills seeing one as if it’s my first time. And when they are close enough for photo ops, WOWSA!
