Wing-drying

A Juvenile Bald Eagle perched on a tree branch with its wings open to dry its waterlogged feathers. A Bald Eagles wingspan can reach up to 2.3 meters and if they get their wings wet as often occurs when they dive to catch a fish, the extra weight slows and hinders flight. Eagles also spread their wings as a means to warm up and sunbathing with their wings spread allows them to take full advantage of the warmth of the sun.

I captured this image with a Nikon D850 at a focal length of 500mm, aperture of 6.3, shutter speed of 1/640 second, and an ISO of 140.  Photographed at Little Qualicum Estuary, Vancouver Island, B.C..

Using Format