Hudson River Eagles



Mature eagle at Verplanck, NY. 1/29/11
Nikon D300, Sigma 50-500 @ 500mm.  ISO 800, F8, 1/1000, cropped  59%

In just a few weeks, as the bodies of water up north freeze over for the winter, this scene will repeat itself over and over again on the Hudson River. Every year the arrival of flocks of common merganser, goldeneye and canvasback in November signals the start of the eagle migration. Unable to find open water to fish from, these waterfowl head south, stopping by any body of water that has food in it. Many come and just hang around the Hudson, enjoying the bounty made available by the river's tidal action.

Well, it should come as no surprise that aside from fish, these waterfowl are among the eagles favorite live snack. I make the distinction because Eagles are basically lazy, opportunistic feeders. They will eat anything, including food stolen from other critters. Sitting on an ice floe is a form of easy, energy-saving transportation, providing an up-close vantage point from which a hungry eagle can scout for their next meal.

So where can you see this in the New York Metro area? I have personally witnessed eagles in flight over the West Side Highway as far south as 96th St, where an adult flew about 20 ft over the hood of my car in the morning rush hour traffic one day. I received a picture, taken with a phone cam, of an eagle perched on a branch enjoying a fish. The shooter was sitting in an office at the cemetery at 155th St. and Riverside Drive. When there is a lot of ice, typical after an extended period of sub-30 degree weather, I have seen them floating by from Inwood Hill and Fort Tryon Parks in Manhattan.

For the most reliable locations for seeing/photographing these majestic birds I typically head north, generally starting at the Croton Reservoir, a favorite nighttime roosting area, and Croton Point Park and Train Station. On a good day it is not uncommon to see 5-10 eagles within an hour. Other favorite locations can be found along the east bank of the river all the way up to Peekskill. Montrose Point is another well-used roosting area, where one late February afternoon I counted 29 birds while standing next to the cove at George's Island.

Eagle watching season is short around these parts. They are all but gone by the end of February, save for a few that chose to start and raise a family and remain over the summer.

This is my first blog post and I hope you found it interesting. I will be adding content that will range from how tos to what happened when, links to photographic technique webpages, and my own pictures and website. Thank you for visiting!