Click on the Chilkat River Bald Eagle image to enlarge

Chilkat River Bald Eagle

I first heard of the Chilkat River Bald Eagle congregation that occurs near Haines, Alaska in the early 1980′s.

The description I read made the Chilkat River Bald Eagle event that occurs every fall sound like something that I had to see someday.  The author described 3,000 Bald Eagles congregating to feast on salmon along the Chilkat River was something that I had to witness…some day.

It took me 2 decades to finally witness the Chilkat River Bald Eagle congregation, but I eventually did.

It was a long journey to get there, both in terms of the 2 decades in time when I had first read about the Bald Eagles of Haines; as well as the 2 days travel it would take from my home in California to get to this special spot outside of Haines, Alaska.

Some things are just worth waiting for…and photographing a Chilkat River Bald Eagle is one of them.

Upon arrival on my first morning at the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Haines Highway, I realized immediately that it was everything I had read about and had anticipated seeing.  The descriptions I had read of thousands of Bald Eagles along the banks of the Chilkat, dozens of Eagles sitting in trees, Eagles everywhere you looked, were true.

It is a stunning sight to see.

The Bald Eagle is a fascinating bird.  They mate for life, their young stay with them many years.  They soar majestically in the air with their wing span of up to 7 feet.  They fly at speeds of 30 MPH and can reach a speed of 100 MPH when diving.  They look just as majestic when resting on the branches of the trees glaring with their keen eyesight looking for salmon.

Just as stunning as the view of the Eagles were the sounds of the Chilkat Preserve.  The calls of the Eagles were just as impressive as the visual impact of these beautiful birds.  It is a sound that I will never forget…the call of the Eagle…and a sound that I want to experience again someday.

Photographically speaking, the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is an outstanding destination for the photographer.  You are close to the Eagles, but you still need some high quality telephoto optics to get outstanding shots.  I used a 300 mm F4 with a 1.4 teleconverter, that combined with the 1.5 crop factor in my Nikon D300 were a good minimum starting point.  Of course, like in all wildlife photography, I would have wanted more.  But you can get good wildlife shots with a setup like this.  A tripod with the ability to pan to get birds in flight is an absolute necessity.

The conditions to photograph a Chilkat River Bald Eagle are difficult.  Grey skies, snow, and cold temperatures can occur and sometimes often.  Protection from the elements for your camera and lens are absolutely required as precipitation in the form of snow is normal.  Lighting is difficult with often cloudy skies.  When the sun is out it will be at a difficult angle as the viewing locations often face into the sun.  A camera able to shoot with low noise levels at a high ISO is definitely required due to the lighting conditions and the speed in flight of the Eagles.

The sights and sounds of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve are unique.  The Valley of the Eagles can need a long journey to get there, but the experience is one that can only be described as priceless.

Photographing a Chilkat River Bald Eagle is something that is worth the wait.