Teri and I slowly walked along the only free channel of the mostly ice covered Mississippi River. La Crosse was shrouded in a very dense fog. Only vague dark shapes of trees crusted in hoarfrost lace lined the shoreline. The open channel was a deep, slate gray ribbon that silently slid by. Occasionally we'd spot a duck drifting by, only defined by their ashen silhouettes. Then I spotted it. A dark hulking shape sitting motionless in the fog. I took a few silent minutes to angle closer without scaring it off. By the time I could find it in the fog with my zoom lens, focus, and take this shot it was doing this. Just sitting there with it's head tilted back, beak open. It never made a sound and soon began to preen itself. Soon after it simply strolled off, disappearing into the fog. #eagle #baldeagle #birdofprey #conservation #wildlifefriend #wildglobe #wildgeography #featured_wildlife #marvelouz_animals #animalelite #ig_shotz_animal #nature_perfection #nature_brilliance #wildlifeplanet #live_love_wildlife #bd_pro #splendid_animals #fog #foggy #lax_parksandrec #lacrossewisconsin #lacrossewi #wisconsin #wisco #discoverwisconsin #mississippiriver #travelwisconsin #explorewisconsin #driftlessarea #midwestmoment
I marvel at these predators. I shot this during a brief respite from the harsh arctic dry-freeze we'd been enduring in January of 2018. The eagles become confined to crowding around a nearby damn on the Wisconsin River. The constantly flowing water ensures that they can find an easy meal. After weeks of fish this one had other plans for dinner. The sudden "warming" (and I use that term very loosely) gave it an opportunity to go patiently hunt in the Driftless. Since it's too cold to soar on thermals it simply waits for something tasty to meander into it's sight. That happened to be me, only I'm too big to eat. Bald Eagle, juvenile
