View Full Version : Eagles at Lake Palestine
Had a chance to goof off today so thought I would check out the nesting Eagles. Got a couple of fairly decent photos. It's awesome to watch these magnificient birds and at such a close distance.
I did feel a little uncomfortable with the location, since it is right in front of a residence. I understand the property owner is taking the commotion with a grain of salt (so far) even though the area where people watch is state right of way.
http://raincrow.smugmug.com/photos/134468453-M.jpg
http://raincrow.smugmug.com/photos/134469491-M.jpg
http://raincrow.smugmug.com/photos/134468719-M.jpg
Maestro
03-08-2007, 05:57 AM
Amazing shots! Where is this exactly?
Hi, Maestro....these are amazing birds.
The nest is on F.M. 2661, approx. 4.5 miles south of S.H. 31 (Chandler,Tx) and on the east side of the road. It is directly across from a residence and the area on the East side near the nest tree has been barricaded off...I understand by the local Game Warden.
There is a map on the butterflydigital.com site that was posted in one of the earlier threads if you need to take a look at it. I sure wish it was a little more removed from houses.
butterflydigital
03-13-2007, 08:23 AM
The eagle's nest on FM 2661 near lake palestine now has at least 1 confirmed baby in it as of sunday - a head peeked over the top of the nest briefly and was photographed.
info and gps location at http://eagles.butterflydigital.com/lakepalestine.htm
That is really neat to see the newest family member with it's head above the nest! I would love to spend some more time there but that is really an uncomfortable situation to me. There was someone pulling a trailer that pulled into the owners driveway when I was there and left it sitting while he looked at the Eagles.
I suppose the other nearby nest location will be kept secret?
I spotted the nest at Lake Fork a couple of months ago from the road, but for the average person (like me) it is not very viewable. Especially now that leaves are coming out. I have spent enough time in the area to know a route they take to the water, have to be fast to spot them though. The adults and juvenile(s) both have crossed the same area.
Dachia
03-14-2007, 10:25 AM
Totally awesome pictures! The are so majestic & beautiful!!
Thanks, Dachia. They are fairly much representative of others photos from there but MY first opportunity at Eagles that close. Majestic and beautiful they are!
butterflydigital
03-14-2007, 08:11 PM
The other Lake Palestine nest I know of is on private property. And I agree that it would be great having a better situation at the 2661 nest, but if people would use a little common sense there wouldn't be a problem. There is a huge open area with no houses a few feet to the north of the nest spot where people can park. Not sure what goes through folks' minds just pulling and parking in driveways or actually stopping on the road itself, but its the same people that cross the road and try to view the eagles from directly under the nest. They deserve to be yelled at. There are not many places where eagles can be seen that close without them minding.
If you get up to Lake Fork often and want to view a Great Horned Owl nest instead of that eagle nest in the bushes, I would be happy to get you that info. There is one young in it as of this past sunday.
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/picts/DSC_8623_5x7.jpg
Maestro
03-14-2007, 08:15 PM
I'd love to view a GHO! I'd love to add that to my list of birds sighted and photographed. If you would please pm me the info. I might try to make it over there. I have a long weekend coming up. :)
Yes, I agree with all your comments. As we both know, it usually won't work out that way.
As far as the Great Horned Owl....you bet! Thanks. Would love to see that if I could, without alarming it. I have spent a fair amount of time around Lake Fork taking a lot of photos. Have yet to see an Owl though.
One Strange Bird
03-15-2007, 06:57 AM
Why is it that in most movies or TV shows when they show a shot of a Bald Eagle soaring overhead they have to dub in the awesome screech of the Red-tailed Hawk? Could it be because Hollywood producers are ashamed of the fact that Bald Eagles sound like two 2-year-old girls fighting over a sippy cup?
butterflydigital
03-20-2007, 08:39 AM
Seems the nest on 2661 now has its own bus tours!!!
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/picts/DSC_1662sm.jpghttp://www.eagles-r-us.com/picts/DSC_9277_5x7sm.jpg
betsy
03-20-2007, 03:44 PM
:D The photo? I think yes -- exquisite timing! But the bus company has been around for quite some time by that name, Vern -- google it and you'll see. It was probably just passing by.
Hi, Betsy. I have seen the buses before.... just wondering if the Eagle nest was the actual destination, not being familiar with the types of tours. If not, I agree, perfect timing on a photo of the passing bus..and at that location.
Just couldn't imagine where they would have planned on parking that big rig:confused:
butterflydigital
04-17-2007, 01:10 PM
The baby eagle at the lake palestine nest is now full of feathers and walking around the nest as of sunday.
there were at least 2 different immature eagles flying around and getting chased away by the adults. the younger one even landed 30 ft from the nest while no adults were around.
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/picts/DSC_2029_temp.jpg
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/picts/DSC_2337_temp.jpg
Sunday seems to have been a good day. I was hoping to get another chance to go....with decent light.
Getting many onlookers at the site?
butterflydigital
04-18-2007, 09:40 AM
There was a steady stream of people on Sunday, nothing too crazy. Most well behaved.
Talked with Robert (the nice neighbor) and he said the electric company workers were out twice last week with a cherry picker truck - not to fix anything - but to go up and take pictures from nest level.
I would have loved to get in on that chance.
There is another nest about 2 miles from this one - and both eagle babies flew in the last couple of days. The eggs were laid more than 3 weeks earlier though.
Sounds to be fairly well civil there at least. Going up in a cherry picker would be nice:)
The property owner of the other nest could probably have made a nice sum for trespass rights. Controlled of course, so there would be no disruption to the Eagles.
butterflydigital
04-18-2007, 11:20 AM
i think the property owner is more interested in his peace and quiet than any more trespassers like me...
the tree with the nest hangs over his driveway - with an eagle often sitting on these limbs as you drive under...
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/picts/DSC_1867_temp.jpg
Simply amazing! The way they build nests right by houses. I can imagine the owner has been pestered:)
butterflydigital
02-04-2008, 04:19 PM
sad to report that the nest on the side of the road at lake palestine is vacant this year.
the 'driveway' nest near the lake is active again and the pair are sitting on eggs.
we have seen an eagle sitting in a tree next to road on the north side of I-20 east of Terrell between hwy markers 508 and 509. there is a small stock pond with a line a trees between it and the highway where the eagle sits. It has been there on 2 trips to east texas in the last 3 weeks. We would love to hear about any additional sightings of that eagle.
The photos are the driveway pair on Feb 2, 2008 and the 4 eagles on a log was taken by my son Dec 27, 2007 on the skagit river in WA.
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/D2A6704.jpg
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/_DSC0003.jpg
Hey, Torsten, long time no talk! Super shots you have posted here. I had thought about going over to Lake Palestine pretty soon...thanks for the info.
I will have to check out the one on I-20, that is pretty close for me. This past Saturday, I got fairly close photos of a soaring juvenile a couple of miles north of Terrell just off of SH 34. I didn't expect to see one where it was. Quite a treat though.
butterflydigital
02-05-2008, 06:24 AM
Any updates on your osprey? we went out saturday morning for a brief time on the way to the eagles but didnt see anything.
It has been a couple of months since I have seen an Osprey. (Tanglewood Marina) I understand there was one seen in the state park a few days ago.
What time of day have you seen the Eagles?
butterflydigital
02-05-2008, 05:56 PM
We did the tpwd Lake Fork eagle count a couple weeks back and saw a fair amount of eagles. but other than that, most of our eagle sightings are just from a couple nests we watch. (which thankfully have eagles all day ;-)
The one eagle we did see away from the nest and not on lake fork was an immature catching a fish in a small lake about a month ago. we were watching a nest in one direction when the immature came in behind us for a little meal.
The sequence photo definitely doesn't recreate the excitement of seeing that happening - but its the best i could do with the situation.
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/_DSC1210b.jpg
My last trip to Fork produced 5 Eagles but too far to do anything with. I was referring to time of day on your sightings on I-20.
The sequence catching the fish is neat, I haven't caught one of those yet.
butterflydigital
02-05-2008, 07:21 PM
my bad...
the first time we saw was coming home from lake fork after the eagle count approx 3pm. it was at the very top of the tallest tree in front of the pond.
the send time was around 10am - and it was in the same tree - but closer to the middle of the tree.
we actually drove the loop off the two exit ramps (509 and 507 i think) - looking for a nest but found nothing. it was hard seeing much and the road that connects the two exits might be the worst in TX.
butterflydigital
02-06-2008, 05:04 PM
Eaglefest is in Emory, TX this Saturday.
www.eaglefest.org (http://www.eaglefest.org) is their website.
They usually have barge trips out onto Lake Fork in the AM to see some of the eagles there.
Have you had any luck with photography from a boat....or have you been on the barge trip? The one on I-20 must be AWOL.
butterflydigital
02-07-2008, 07:03 PM
the picture below is from a boat during the eagle count in January. You get many less quality photos in a boat as most turn out blurry, but often you get to photograph things you would otherwise never have a chance to shoot.
I use a maximum of 400mm with vibration reduction on max.
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/GEP1473_email.jpg
Nice composition on the photo. Would be useless for me to be on a boat in water that choppy....non IS equipment. Have to see what the wind will be on Sat.
robar
02-13-2008, 11:51 AM
i'm new at this but here's a horrible capture but it from 100+yards. location was just off the miller rd bridge and lakeside park, rowlett.
is this an osprey??
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/btrescue/IMGP9651.jpg
butterflydigital
02-14-2008, 09:00 AM
sure looks like one to me - i might have to get out there and see what i can find sometime soon.
we definitely need to see how to get some osprey to nest in this area.
butterflydigital
04-13-2008, 10:13 PM
Fishing at Lake Palestine; taken 4/12/2008
http://www.eagles-r-us.com/display/DSC5225display.jpg
Nice capture, Torsten! Was it getting near the nest in this one? I'm envious. I pretty much gave up on chasing the Eagles around here back in January.
Maestro
04-14-2008, 07:09 PM
Wow! The eagles are still around. I may need to get out there. Are the young near fledging?
butterflydigital
04-14-2008, 09:26 PM
The eagles are actually no longer in the nests by the road unfortunately. The nest has moved to private land.
There is one young but a long way from going anywhere. This 'trio' is usually much later laying eggs than the other eagles in that area.
As for the flying fish.....The eagle comes in with as big of a fish as I have ever seen an eagle carry (the photo does no justice to the size of the fish). We thought it was going straight to the nest but sort of banked towards some trees and landed there with the fish. I think a hawk startled the bird, but it left the tree and actually dropped the fish to the ground. The fish was so big, that we heard a loud 'thud' when the fish hit the ground; and it had to be 125 yds away. A few minutes later the eagle probably regretted its decision to drop the fish and went looking for it. After a couple minutes hopping along the ground, he found the fish and stood on it for a while.
Finally the eagle takes off, but the fish was parallel with its wings causing more wind resistance than it could handle we believe. It tried 3 times to get high enough to reach the nest but seemed to struggle and turn back around towards us. The 3rd time it clearly had its mouth open, like it was panting. The eagle flew off to a field, situated the fish in line with its body length. This time, with the more aerodynamic fish, it took the fish up to the nest.
As a photographer, I am not sure I could ask for more. Each time he aborted the nest trip, he turned directly towards me, while flying very low. Probably the only time in my life that I wish I had much less lens length as it was too close.
I posted a few pics of the baby and more of the fish on our site.
We are off to MI this weekend where we have 3 nests calling our name - and hopefully lots more fun times with the eagles.
SteveW
04-15-2008, 02:04 PM
BUTTERFLYDIGITAL...
Nice images indeed!!!
I spent the day out at Tawakoni (sp?) searching for eagles, 600 in hand and my guide was the suggestd tour route for the Eagle Fest or whatever it was. Didn't see an eagle one.... But the weather was great and had a nice day around the lake anyway.
Would love to see these guys fishing... Would really love to catch one in my view finder fishing!
Nice job...
Steve
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