The weekend started off cold. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, temperatures were hovering around the 35-40° mark. This signaled the first frost warning of the year and I thought it’d be perfect for getting the eagles going. I was right… but there was a catch. More on that in a bit.
We were graced by a full moon both days this weekend which ended up detouring me from the dam for about an hour or so. I love watching the full moon rise and set as the sun comes up and goes down. It’s always a great opportunity for landscape shots, so I pulled off the side of the road just north of Port Deposit to try and grab a few frames. “Primordial” pretty much sums it up. There was a lot of steam coming off the Susquehanna, rocks were exposed and some trees were starting to show their autumnal colors – but I was torn. I knew I was losing eagle shooting time, and since this was the first time this year going back to see them I just couldn’t wait anymore. The dam was only running turbines for three hours on both days (from 6am-9am) and the eagles usually only catch fish when those are running. Off to the dam.
The rocks there are always colder than hell but the “Damn Ace Ass-Pad” came through in the clutch. For those not familiar with the story, I’ll summarize: Last year (being my rookie year) on the rocks, I got tired of my ass freezing no matter how many layers of thermals and pants I was wearing. There’s not a single good place to setup a chair, so I was in need of some type of seating that would insulate and pad. One early morning I got so cold and frustrated I decided to leave the dam and drive up to the Ace Hardware store in Rising Sun. I walked in and started looking around for something that would fit the bill. No luck. Then a nice looking lady comes out of the back and asks if she can help me with anything. I tell her my story. She laughs and says kinda loudly “Oh, so what you’re looking for is some kind of ASS PAD?” Laughingly, I replied, “Exactly.” Off to the gardening section we go. You know those pads some folks use to kneel on while gardening? Well, they work incredibly well on rocks. I’m seriously amazed at the amount of insulating power a half inch of closed cell foam can provide. Cost of gas to the Rising Sun Ace Hardware store: $1.75… 16″ Closed-cell gardening knee pad: $5… Warm ass while watching eagles from the rocks: Priceless. Pick one up if you’re going. They’re cheap, lightweight, and easy to carry. You won’t regret having one.
Anyway – I found a comfortable spot down on the rocks and set up shop. Using the binocs, I counted about 80 Bald Eagles on Saturday morning who were definitely up and about doing their thing. The catch was that they were fishing on the far side of the river – as far away as possible. This was due to a couple of asshat fishermen in a 13′ Alumacraft who decided to completely ignore the giant red signs all over the place that say “NO BOATING BEYOND THIS POINT”. They’d anchored themselves at the very northern tip of the island in the center of the river, as close to the dam as possible. Normally, boats stay south of this marker/sign because of the rough water chewed up by the dam. But not these clowns. They were right in the spot where the eagles usually fish and nobody was there to do anything about it. Therefore, the eagles were pushed to the eastern side of the island which is just too far away to get any kind of shots unless you’ve got the Hubble Telescope in your back pocket.
The inverse was true for Sunday. Sunday morning was warm – almost 50° by dawn and a bit overcast. I decided to try out the ghillie suit again. I look like Chewbacca in the damn thing and folks love to laugh at me, but I seriously think it works – especially if you’re sitting down low to the water and exposed on the rocks. There’s a noticeable difference in the eagle’s behavior, both when flying overhead and fishing in front of you. They just tend to get closer when they don’t think there’s a human lurking nearby. Hell, even if it doesn’t make any difference, I can’t see the downside of wearing the thing (other than feeling a bit silly with it on). There were fewer Eagles around in general but they seemed more active. Another fishing boat came up past the warning signs but left after a few minutes. Turbines were running on the same schedule, 6am-9am. As usual, as soon as they shut down the eagle activity ended abruptly. I wasn’t totally wowed this weekend but I’m thinking things will get better as we head into November and the temperatures drop a bit.
That’s about it for now. I’ll try to post each time I go back in the coming weeks to keep the count up to date. Looks like mid to late November will be the peak time again for the Baldies this year if anyone is planning a trip.
Greetings. It’s great to hear of your finding the eagle season in full swing today. I’ve been thinking I need to get back to Conowingo Dam. I have only been there once; only saw a couple bald eagles on the eastern bolders and ended up waiting out one that was perched on a huge boulder for nearly 3 hours (I was determined to get a shot of him in flight – which I did; magnificent birds). Anyhow, I’m a bit curious about where you positioned yourself to get the photos of the eagles you have posted? I was standing on the sidewalk off the parking lot area because there were so many fishermen on the shore below. Is there a vantage point you have found to be more ideal than others? I’m shooting with a Sigma 50-500mm lens on a tripod so I can get reasonable reach but, of course, the closer the better so I don’t have to crop as much. Any suggestions that might help make my next trip more rewarding would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the comment Craig, and nice to meet you… to answer your question about a better vantage point: I’ve always been a fan of “being down on the rocks”. What I mean by that is that I actually climb down the rocks and get as close to the water as possible. You know where the long stretch of parking is? There’s a black fence that has gates all along it… Just pick a spot and billy goat it down to the water… any spot will do, as it’s almost impossible to predict where the eagles will swoop down to grab a fish. Three words of caution however: 1) Be considerate of others already down there, and don’t cramp them – whether they’re fishermen or photographers, give them adequate room. 2) Be incredibly careful if you decide to do this early in the morning, as the rocks can be quite slippery. By late November, there can be black ice on them. 3) Be sure that you don’t climb down to the waters edge while the turbines are shut down. If you do this and they turn them on, the water level can rise a good 4-6 feet in a matter of seconds. They’ll sound a bunch of sirens and lights (that are impossible to miss) before they actually fire up the turbines, but it’s just something to be common sense aware of. Best of luck!
Tell me that you never disregarded a no trespassing sign or otherwise violated an ordinace or law to get a shot and I will agree with your indictment of the fishermen. Otherwise, oh well…
Pericles, I’m pretty particular about following “posted signs” and I can honestly say that I’ve never broken a law to get “a shot” (at least to my knowledge). Come to think of it, I can’t recall a single situation where I’ve had an opportunity for “a shot” that was *worth* breaking the law. Common courtesy goes a long way with me, and I think that’s why it pissed me off so much… Although both fisherman and photographers have every right to be there, if there was a sign that said “no photography beyond this point” and I pulled up in a big boat that scared all the fish away, do you think the fishermen would be cool with that? Maybe I’d just have to lean over, shrug and say, “Oh well…” — You get my point.
Meh. Either way, I like fishing and I can understand why they’d want to get up there – same reason the eagles are there. It’s just too bad they couldn’t have stayed back a couple hundred feet.
Thanks for the update. I am hoping to make it down there on Monday. Oh, and I love the eagles in the fog pix.
Great pics. I am planning a trip down there soon – probably mid-January. What will the eagle population be at that time. My son and I usually head up to Lackawaxen, Pa and Port Jervis, NY in January to see eagles. Heard about Conowingo Dam and thought we would try here. Is it better to go on a weekday or week-end. We are about 3 hours away and were going to make it a day trip, but sounds like the early morning hours are the best for viewing. How is late afternoon for viewing? Thanks. Nancy
Hey Nancy, the end of October to the end of November is really the peak season down at the dam, but there’s usually *a few* resident eagles that’ll be hanging around through the winter. I wouldn’t expect more than a dozen or so though… very hard to estimate. Three hours is quite a haul for what you might see. If I were that far away, I’d probably just wait until next fall. Weekdays mean less people, and weekends (during peak) can get quite busy. Late afternoons will work, but be aware that the dam sits in a slight valley and you’ll lose the sunlight a good 2 hours before normal sunset times. Hope that helps, and if you do decide to go be sure to dress extra warm… just the thought of being down there in mid Jan. makes me shiver
Thanks Joel. We might just head back up to Port Jervis and Lackawaxen again this year and save Conowingo for October. We don’t see that many eagles at Port Jervis …a couple dozen or so, but the area is beautiful and so peaceful that I don’t mind sitting in the cold to catch an eagle in flight. I never tire of seeing them. Have been to Holtwood Preserve also and saw about 8 total there. I didn’t think the area was very good for photos though. I had a difficult time finding it, perhaps there is another area at that dam that is better for pictures. I will have to go exploring some time. Thanks for the tip on the kneeling pad. I think I will invest in one as it gets pretty cold in New York in January. Thanks again for the info. Hope you have a Happy New Year. Nancy
I’m thinking of going down there tomorrow. I’m about 2 hours away. Is it worth my while at this time of year to see eagles?? Thanks and your pictures are amazing!!!!!
Hey Paula, I’d have to say that if you’re coming from 2 hours away, it’d be much better to wait until next fall (Oct-Nov is usually best). If you end up going down tomorrow you might see one or two eagles, but it’ll be night and day compared to the 150-200 birds down there during the peak migration time. Not sure what direction you’re coming from, but Bombay Hook NWR and Barnegat SP are two of my “usual haunts” during the winter months – you might have better luck there (for other bird activity). As always, thanks for the kind words about my photos – Talk to you later!
Hello and greetings. I plan to visit the Dam this fall. I live 2 hours away so in Mid to late October the best time? I own a 100-400 zoom but should I bite the bullet and rent a 500 or 600 along with a teleconverter?
I love the Eagles but the shots of the fog and the fishermen was fantastic. Did you have to climb down on any rocks to get those shots?
Greetings Ceasar!
If you’re planning a visit this fall, I’d say shoot for “October” and keep an eye on blogs and internet forums starting around the end of September. You should be able to get a general feel for what’s happening that way. I’ll be updating my blog as much as I can as the summer dies down and we start heading into Eagle season. It’s hard to pinpoint *exactly* when the “peak” number of birds will arrive… but there will definitely be Eagles there throughout October. Some years I’ve seen a large increase at the end of September, some years not until the first week of November. Depends a lot on the weather and the general mood of the birds
If you have the means to do so (and are really after some close-up shots), definitely rent a 500 or 600. It won’t go to waste at the dam. While I’ve witnessed folks pull off some incredible shots in the parking lot and down on the rocks with the 100-400, my own personal experience has been that “longer is better” most of the time. I primarily use a 500 f/4 with and without the 1.4TC (and if I had a 600mm – I’d be using that instead!). I also usually keep my 5D with a 70-200 ready to go in a shoulder bag in case of any close encounters. Normally when the Eagles dive down for fish they’re far enough away that you need a decent bit of reach to get good shots. Sometimes they come in close, but I can count on one hand how many times that’s happened to me in the last 4 years.
Glad you liked the shots of the fog & fishermen – sometimes it gets a little slow down there and you can get bored waiting for the birds to do anything
Yes, I’m a habitual rock climber and those shots were taken down on the water, but you can get similar shots from the boat ramp near the entrance. Now that I think about it, I don’t think there’s been a time at the dam that i didn’t climb down the rocks. I haven’t fallen (yet) but I’ve seen other folks go tumbling. If you decide to climb, be extra sure to take your time, go slowly and watch your footing as those rocks are often slippery and unpredictable.
Best of luck Ceasar, and happy Eagle hunting – If you see a lone soul down on the rocks freezing his butt off in a ghillie suit, that’s me