Alaska

Dennis February 26, 2009

Gone Fishing in Homer, AK

One thing I didn’t plan when going to Homer to photograph bald eagles was the prospet of capturing the eagles as they swooped in to catch a fish near the surface of rthe water. I always thought that must be one lucky photographer to be in the right spot, with the right equipment, at the right time. It didn’t occur to me that as with birds in the back yard, if you put out food, they will come.

A local water taxi operator brought us, and a couple of cases of frozen fish, to a quiet bay across from Homer. Since the ordinance on feeding eagles only applies to the city limits of Homer, the captain is able to toss fish into the water. While there were only three or four eagles in the tree tops when we arrived, there were more than 20 eventually.

Dennis February 21, 2009

More Eagles from Homer, AK

Dennis February 21, 2009

Longtailed Ducks in Homer, AK

Other wildlife wintering in Homer, AK include Longtailed Ducks and sea otters, sometimes coming close to shore.

Dennis February 19, 2009

Eagles of Homer Spit

Some of the images from the first day of great morning light.

Dennis February 19, 2009

On the Road to Homer, AK

For many years, Jean Keane fed fish to eagles in Homer, Alaska during the winter months. The town established an ordinance prohibiting the feeding under the belief that doing so was detrimental to the well being of the eagles. While there is much controversy over this decision, 2009 is to be the last year that the Bald Eagles will be fed during the winter months in Homer Alaska. I decided to make the trip and try my luck at photographing eagles in flight.

The road from Anchorage to Homer passes along Turnagain Arm, a large expanse of water which is very shallow due to the silt build up from glacial waters. The huge tidal difference is evident in the chunks of ice that form when high tide brings in a lot of water, and then flows out at low tide leaving the ice sitting on the bottom.

Further along the road to Homer are several rivers. The rivers keep flowing, with the amount of ice on the surface varying with the flow of water.