Bird photography can be hazardous to your health (CONTENT WARNING)

[DemoTex]

I like to photograph birds, especially big birds like hawks, eagles, and vultures. I have had a Goshawk "buzz" me, very closely in fact, from behind. But what happened to this unlucky photographer in Kazackhstan never entered my worst nightmares.

The first three photos of a Golden Eagle were taken by me in southern Oregon last October. The last two Golden Eagle photos were taken by a photographer named Shamil Zhumatov. The photographer being attacked by the Golden Eagle is not named.

Like the fighter pilot says,"Check six. Always!"


Golden Eagle on telephone pole along US-395 in southern Oregon (my photo)


Golden Eagle flies away from me. That is good! (my photo)


Typical flat-wing glide of a Golden, as it gets farther away from me (my photo)


Golden Eagle attacks unidentified photographer in Kazackhstan (photo by Shamil Zhumatov)


OUCH! (photo by Shamil Zhumatov)

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. Dang.

Those are some angry birds.

[guitar man]

5. The Mighty Eagle!

:spray: :rofl:

[Historic NY]

2. Sneaky, I have a hawk that sits and watches me all day in the yard...

its obviously looking for me to stir up some morsel. It will fly past me at a good clip sometimes I find it on the ground walking behind me. I don't have any problems with rabbits or woodchucks with the garden.

[nashville_brook]

3. there's a Sean Penn joke in there somewhere.

love your pic of the golden on the phone pole!


hopefully these guys won't turn on me anytime soon...

[kayakjohnny]

6. LOVE your Roseate Spoonbill pic!

Those guys have a large colony just one half mile from where I sit.

They are a beautiful bird and much more tolerant of people (respectful ones, anyway) than most other species we have here in east central Florida.

They don't spook nearly as easily as other birds when you get close.

Again, great shot!

[nashville_brook]

22. this is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge -- a couple of weeks ago

i'm in east orlando, and grew up in Brevard. Been going to Playalinda for years to launch the kayak at Eddy Creek, and just started to enjoy taking pictures at Black Point Drive back in 2009 when I got a decent enough lens.

if you're near Christmas, another great birding site is Orlando Wetlands Park, near Fort Christmas. I'm heading out there in a just a few, i think...if i can get the SO interested -- :)

[kayakjohnny]

29. I go to Blackpoint all the time.

I'm on the other end of Playlinda. The north end of Canaveral National Seashore. It's called the Apollo District up this way.

I've heard about the wetlands park and am dying to get over there.

Again, nice pic!

Cheers!

[HereSince1628]

4. What's on the other end of that tether? Bait?

I've never seen a jacket with that sort of strap and I don't know camera equipment at all...
Anyone?

[Ghost in the Machine]

8. I wondered that, too...

Stuffed bird, fake photo??

[HereSince1628]

9. Seems like it could be real.

I don't know anything about photoshopping so I couldn't say.

[Mojorabbit]

17. Does the bird

have jesses. Like when one flies hawks?
http://www.crownfalconry.co.uk/jesses.htm

I do wildlife rehab and when I used to volunteer at the center there were two things with big birds I was extra careful about. One was not to be footed by a raptor and the other to not have my eye poked out by a heron or other long beaked waterbird.

[livetohike]

7. Ouch!! I had a cockatoo land on my shoulder in

Australia once - didn't hurt nearly as much as this must have. Your photos are stunning :hi:.

[LWolf]

10. There are some golden eagles that nest at Smith Rock State Park

in Central Oregon. We've taken our students out to the park; rangers set up telescopes on the nest and give talks, which is a good thing for the kids to do while recovering from hikes down to the river and back.

I've always lived in golden eagle habitat. The closest I've come was about a decade ago; I was out on a ride with my horse, crossing some public land with a grazing lease. An eagle was on a downed cow about 10 yards off the trail. I stopped about 15 yards away. It froze and watched us for about 10 minutes, and we stood still and watched back. Then it went back to eating, and we carefully circled around it, giving it plenty of space as we went by.

We've had a pretty wet winter; you're going to be needed this next fire season.

[DemoTex]

18. I took those photos just south of the US-395/Oregon-31 junction

That is near Valley Falls, Oregon. I saw a few more Goldens along that stretch, then saw a big Bald Eagle near the Oregon-Cali line at Goose Lake.

There are numerous Golden Eagles down in Christmas Valley, too. But, strangely enough, I have never seen one anywhere near the lookout (China Hat area).

I'm hoping to make it to Smith Rock this summer. Painted Hills, too!

:hi:

[LWolf]

25. I'd be happy to

meet you in town for a brew this summer. I've only been out the 395 route once; when I was hauling my horses from so cal on Memorial Day weekend 6 years ago. We took the back way thinking to avoid the holiday traffic. It was a beautiful trip. I didn't see any eagles, but did see a couple of herds of antelope.

:hi:

[xchrom]

11. ow. ow. ow. ow. ow. ow. ow. nt

[Ikonoklast]

12. That had to leave a mark, but how many people get to say

they were attacked by an eagle?

Story will get him a lifetime of free beers.

[stevedeshazer]

13. Whoa!

Your first photo is especially amazing.

US 395 is one of my favorites, from NE Washington state to the Mojave. Lots of raptors and turkey vultures.

Great stuff, buddy.

[felix_numinous]

14. Wow

I watched a red tailed hawk completely devour a large whole crow up close, and he looked so much bigger on the ground than I imagined. There was nothing left of the crow when he was done, no legs, no beak.....just a couple small feathers....

[leeroysphitz]

15. pwned.

[blogslut]

16. He's so big!

We've got a pair of red-tailed hawks (I think) that have been living around my block for the last several years. My eyesight is awful and I don't own a pair of binoculars and the closest I get to see them is when they perch on the electrical wires above me or when they're souring around being awesome.

Whenever I see one of them, I always regret my lack of a decent camera.

[saras]

19. Please do not annoy the animals...

I'd like to introduce that guy to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGGbozilko">THIS guy.

[DemoTex]

20. Oh, man! What a tag-team they would make.

Know what I mean?

[1monster]

21. This guy is lucky to be alive. Check out the video of a Golden Eagle taking down a deeer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsXtDKdU0Q

and a mountain goat...

[RandomKoolzip]

23. Off-subject, but that's the blue-est, most beautiful sky I've ever seen.

[Solly Mack]

24. Ouch!

Nice pictures!

[Jokinomx]

26. Wow... I guess that would get your attention!!

What a beautiful bird and he looks a bit upset.

Thanks for posting.

Peace,

Kim

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. That's an angry bird!

[Rex]

28. Gotta be careful, they ain't called the 'sharks of the sky' for nuttin!

Not that it is very likely, but a full grown eagle could kill a person pretty easily. Their talons can easily puncture the human skull. Better start wearing a combat helmet, I'm only kinda joking.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

30. I got to hold an eagle once.

I got involved in some work with our local Raptor Center, and I got to hold a bird that lived there - it couldn't be released because it had a broken wing that couldn't be repaired well enough for it to be released. It was relatively tame and used to being handled by people, so it didn't try to maim me. What was especially interesting was how light it was for its size - as big as it was, it hardly seemed to weigh anything.