Fierce Patience

An odd title for a post, but stay with me and it might make sense. Or not.

Fierce! The way I plunged my paddle blade into the water when we were kayaking earlier this week? Nope. What a bright and sparkling morning it was. A very light breeze, warm sunshine, and a calm surface, with barely a ripple – until I started paddling…

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Sparkling and serene

Patience? That was Mrs PC waiting for me to get moving. Once I’d figured out my legs hadn’t shrunk, and readjusted the foot pegs – my brother had been using the kayak – all was well. We glided along serenely, spotting several bald eagles, many gulls, a belted kingfisher, and a paddle boarder making great progress across the channel.

I noticed another bald eagle perched in a tree, his gaze looking out over the water. He didn’t seem too bothered by our approach, so I fished out my camera and took a shot of his feet. Then the top of his head. A part of a branch. Some sky. My knees. For a calm day, I appeared to be having a bit of a problem taking a steady picture.DSCF7358

The eagle hadn’t moved, so I paddled back to give myself another chance. Similar results. Mrs PC had paddled on, so she didn’t have to witness me backing up one more time, for another drift past. The photographs included here were the best I could do. The conditions for taking pictures, as I think I mentioned above, were really terrible. Huge waves, gusting winds, super cold.

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Impossible conditions?

A masterclass in photography. The fierce patience? I think that was the look on the eagle’s face. This eagle appeared fierce, but was laughing on the inside. I believe he was maintaining an imperious , yet slightly sympathetic air as I splashed about underneath, blundering and rudely taking photos without even asking.

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Fierce patience

I’m not usually pro-monarchy, but after recent events… What a majestic bird, regal, and with seemingly infinite fierce patience.

Thanks for reading, please leave a message or comment if you’d like any photography tips from me, and have a wonderful weekend!

Published by

plaidcamper

I am a would be outdoorsman - that is if I had more time, skills and knowledge. When I can, I love being outdoors, just camping, hiking, snowboarding, xc skiing, snowshoeing, paddling a canoe or trying something new. What I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm and having a go. I'd never really survive for long out there in the wild, but I enjoy pretending I could if I had to...

17 thoughts on “Fierce Patience”

  1. By the sound of those blustery conditions you did a pretty good job PC. That’s a mighty impressive eagle PC.. Have a fierce and fabulous weekend. 🙂

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  2. Some days our photography is just not up to the low bar we set for ourselves. Distractions, bad lighting, you name it…we know how you feel. Still, that eagle is pretty great and you managed to capture a certain regal fierceness. So, good for you!

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  3. I’m no photographer either. Oh, that I were – a lot of cool stuff has gone undocumented. I will say that your photos of a pint glass always turn out spot on!

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    1. Thanks, Bob! You made me laugh, and the sad truth is I am getting strangely accomplished at taking pictures of pints. It’s the way they keep still…
      Hope your weekend is going well.

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  4. I concur with Bob’s assessment of your sparkling beers. They tend to sit more politely than a wild bird like your bald eagle. But when you got it right, it really comes through regally, light and shadow balanced finely, with a focus on that fierce proud eye. Well done, my friend.

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    1. That poor eagle could have sat and sipped a pint in the time it took to get one or two serviceable pictures. He was good enough to stay in the tree, and what a sight they are, photo or no photo.
      Thanks, Walt! I hope your weekend is going well!

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  5. Fabulous photos and it looks like the eagle had deep admiration for your photography skills by the end of the photo shoot! I can see how the sparkling water could have added to the challenges of dealing with the calm water. Drifting by such beauty and being rewarded with a great photo of an eagle’s eye or feet sounds like a perfect day! Thanks for sharing the beauty and laughs and have a great weekend!

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    1. Thank you! I hadn’t thought of the sparkling water dazzling me, making photography difficult. I’ll remember that “reason” next time…
      I have a deeper appreciation for your kayak-based photos – it is not always easy to shoot, even on a calm morning!
      I hope your weekend is going well and the dancing fawn visits again.

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  7. I was born and raised in Northern Washington, Skagit County. The landscape looks a lot like the valley I was raised in. Beautiful pictures. Loved the Eagle. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Thank you! If they keep to a branch long enough, and I’m still enough, there are so many eagles this way, that even I can get a reasonable photograph. Now, to photograph one in flight and up close would be something! Wayne, over at Tofino Photography, he’s a photographer getting superb shots of eagles, bears, orcas, and just about all wildlife out here at the coast. Check out his posts, they are really special!
      Hope your week is going well, and the wildfires aren’t too close to you. What a situation that is. Be safe!

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