Another “Throwback Thursday” swooping in today. Wait. What? I don’t really do the throwback thing, but maybe it is time to start. I should be just in time for it to be quickly fading out of favor. That’s pretty much my style: Glom on to the popular things as the “in crowd” moves along. Whatever. Here we go!
Good Timing
May, 2010. It seems like both a lifetime ago and just yesterday. The photo certainly brings back the moment! Enjoying a visit to Yellowstone National Park, my friend and I decide to check out an eagle’s nest not far off the main road. In fact, if you park in the right place, you get a good view of it from the shoulder. The park has issued warnings not to approach too close and, being animal lovers and good citizens, we keep our distance. We are not standing there long, wildlife lenses at the ready, when we get an unexpectedly good payoff.
Swooping In
Somewhere in the tangle that makes up the eagle’s aerie is at least one young bird. I have watched a lot of feathered parents feed their young over the years, but it has mostly been robins and barn swallows. I have also seen airborne snakes and mice being carried through the air by hawks and owls. All of that fades into an “also ran” status compared to this particular sight. I am not sure what it carries, but seeing a majestic eagle swooping in with a breakfast? That is something to see.
Feasting On A Memory
Looking back, this still feels like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. In many ways, it is. Then I look at some of my photography heroes and the vast quantity of once-in-a-lifetime moments they capture. How they do it isn’t exactly a secret. They have made the the time and put in the effort to be there for it.
I feel like there may be a lesson in here somewhere.
