Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

It's Memorial Day weekend. I'm enjoying the warm weather and time off from work. I visited the refuge again, with some results that I like.

The refuge is small, and several stretches of road are closed because of bald eagle nesting. I proceeded to the roadblock to see if I could get any shots of eagles in/near the nest in the center of the refuge. I got some grainy shots of a single eaglet with a parent, not worth showing here. Then I headed toward the water. Shortly after arriving at the waterfront, I noticed a large bird flying over the water, right toward me. I started shooting, capturing a series of shots with the bird growing in the frame as it got closer. Here's one of the best of the series.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

And here's another shot, with a little tongue showing.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

It has mottled feathers, beak that's not quite yellow yet, and doesn't look like the iconic pictures of bald eagles, but I like it. So I got some good shots right away; the rest of the walk was like playing with house money: I got keepers right away.

I kept walking and eventually approached the same nest I'd started at, but this time from the opposite direction. As I approached, I saw an eagle fly by and land in a tree near the nest. I got some shots of it, but they aren't noteworthy so I won't show them here. I lingered for a while, hoping for some action, but nothing was happening. I turned to get some shots of nearby ospreys, and when I turned back the eagle was flying away. Here's a shot.

Bald Eagle in Flight

Not well-exposed, but I like the detail in the feathers in its right wing and the light showing through the holes in the feathers is something I'd never seen before. This bird was very annoying - it flew away as I was looking away. With nothing left to shoot at that location and the park closing soon, I headed back to the parking lot. I was hoping to see something in the woods near the shore so I kept looking. I almost missed this eagle.

Bald Eagle

I stood there for a while, shooting away. Because it was still, I tried several different exposure compensation settings. Eventually it flew away.

Bald Eagle in Flight

But it didn't fly far. I was able to find it again.

Bald Eagle

A few minutes later it flew away.

Bald Eagle in Flight

And that was it for the day.

So I'm pleased with the results and the location. The refuge seems mostly deserted, and the ospreys are always there (at least until they migrate). The eagles are a bit harder to find, but it's worth the work. I was able to get some keepers and I obeyed the park rules (staying on the roads, staying out of the areas marked off-limits).