Not A Totally Wasted Trip

Well I originally woke up at the crack of dawn to head over to the Anclote Power Plant to photograph a couple of Bald Eagles on the nest. Seems like the cold weather had them hunkering down on the eggs. They were not visible. Maybe based on all the people waiting, they were being camera shy.

Since it was too crowded for another tripod to be set up, I headed north to Green Key Road. Bald Eagles have been spotted out here as well feeding. There were no bald eagles but much to my surprise there was an Osprey sitting on top of a power pole waiting for breakfast. The Osprey actually allowed me to approach rather close and remained there for several minutes before taking off. Maybe the raptor spotted a tasty mullet or speckled trout. Look at the claws!!

None the less, with a little cropping and sharpening, I like the few shots I got considering I don't photograph birds of prey very often. If I keep this up, I may need to add a 400mm or 200-400mm to my arsenal to get even closer.