My first encounter with Bald Eagles

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest afforded me many fantastic opportunities to observe various types of wildlife. I remember when I was young, that it was an especially unique treat to see the Bald Eagle soaring over the canal. This was in the 80’s and during that time, Bald Eagle numbers were still very low due to near extinction by the overuse of the pesticide DDT in the middle part of the century. After various laws were put in place, the Bald Eagle, as well as the Peregrine Falcon started to make a slow but steady comeback in population numbers. This first video explores some of this and follows me as I look for Eagles to photograph in Ocean Shores, Wa.

I initially returned home to Washington in July of 2021 after spending 20 years in the US Military. I always knew that I grew up in a very special place but it wasn’t until I moved back home that I realized how many opportunities for excellent wildlife photography were within an hour of where I grew up. One of these places is in a town called Seabeck, Wa. I would normally never share the exact locations that I shoot to protect the area from over exploitation but in this case, I was one of the last to find out about it! It is so well known that if you look at your favorite YouTuber, and if they have seriously pursued imaging Eagles, you will probably find that they have visited this area. In this second video, I visited this beach not once, twice or even three times but over the course of 11 days. It was a wonderful experience and I hope you enjoy watching.