I headed out again to photograph the eagles just north of here, and while they were definitely more active, they weren’t exactly cooperative. Either they stayed too far away, or when they did come close, they positioned themselves directly in front of the sun—about the worst spot possible for photography.
Since the eagles weren’t working in my favor, I wandered a bit and stumbled upon a tree filled with songbirds, including this little guy: an Eastern Bluebird. You can identify them by their distinctive rust-colored breast. Out in the Badlands, I’ve seen Western and Mountain Bluebirds, but the Eastern and Western varieties look surprisingly similar. (For the record, I’m not a birder—I rely on guides and apps to help with IDs!)
Along the way, I also spotted Downy Woodpeckers, a few Blue Jays (which were my grandmother’s favorite), plus the usual mix of crows and other common birds. And despite the tricky lighting, I still saw about 10 bald eagles, including several juveniles that were having an absolute blast play-fighting in the air. It was like watching a high-speed dogfight between fighter jets.
If there’s a takeaway from this outing, it’s this: photography—and nature itself—requires patience. Sometimes, you won’t get the shot you set out for, but if you stay open to the experience, you’ll always find something worth capturing.