Dave Ficke  

The Raven and the Eagle by Dave Ficke

July 2024 - The Raven and the Eagle

About the Image(s)

Here is a shot from my trip to Yellowstone - The Raven is taunting the Bald Eagle and the eagle is not having any of it.
Nikon Z8, ISO 800, 550 mm f6.3 and 1/1250 seconds - Using a 400mm prime with a 1.4 converter and a tripod.

If you notice the raven has three bands on his legs

This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted

Debby Berlyne
This must have been an amazing confrontation to watch! Were you able to capture any of the data on the raven's leg bands so that you could report the bird and look up its travels? I like the texture in the rock and blurred out sky, and both birds are nice and sharp. Would it be possible to somehow make the raven's eye more visible? I found myself searching for it because it's hard to see.   Posted: 07/13/2024 13:53:20
Dave Ficke   Dave Ficke
Debby I tried blowing up the original image to see the bands but it Dows get pixolated - It would be fun to see if this guy has a history.   Posted: 07/24/2024 23:25:17
Debby Berlyne
Too bad about the band, but it's so hard to get a sharp image of those leg bands. I've never succeeded myself, but some day I hope to be able to trace the travels of some of the birds I see.   Posted: 07/25/2024 00:09:07
Stephanie McAndrews
This is a great interaction between the two birds. I like the horizontal crop. The granite has nice detail. Possibly a greater depth of field would make the birds stand out a bit more.   Posted: 07/17/2024 18:14:17
Marina Neyman   Marina Neyman
It's fascinating to watch such an interaction! It's also difficult to capture 2 birds in action. Great composition with the rock creating a diagonal line. I would crop it on the left and on the bottom and birds with stand out even more.
Nature magazine worthy image!   Posted: 07/24/2024 14:55:32
Dave Ficke   Dave Ficke
Marian - you are so right about just watching the interaction. I have bird feeders and water out on my deck and I just get so immersed in watching or for that mater in the field, but mosquitos are still a bummer.   Posted: 07/24/2024 23:40:27