Onondaga lake is a small lake next to Syracuse NY. We have a year round Eagle population of 5-10 Eagles and 3 nests currently. As the lakes and waterways freeze, many eagles migrate to this area for easy fishing. Once the lake is almost frozen, you can count 50-100 Eagles in a day, concentrated in a very small area and close by to some great vantage points.
Interestingly, this is actually caused by a sewage treatment plant dumping warm water back into the lake. The result is about a 200 -400 square yards of open water which rarely freezes. Another interesting side effect is the warm water attracts the fish in the lake to the open water. As you can imagine, its a perfect storm for the Eagles and other wildlife. Generally, the lake freezes over January and February.
The pictures I'm posting first, were taken from the seat of my truck, with the Nikon 400mm 4.5 s Z lens and the Z7. There is also a stream flowing out from the warm end with paved pathways, its amazing what you'll see in such a small area.
The first series is a fight over lunch, which happened right above me. They were so close, 400mm was too long!
The last image is a bit fuzzy due to my movement
More to come!
Interestingly, this is actually caused by a sewage treatment plant dumping warm water back into the lake. The result is about a 200 -400 square yards of open water which rarely freezes. Another interesting side effect is the warm water attracts the fish in the lake to the open water. As you can imagine, its a perfect storm for the Eagles and other wildlife. Generally, the lake freezes over January and February.
The pictures I'm posting first, were taken from the seat of my truck, with the Nikon 400mm 4.5 s Z lens and the Z7. There is also a stream flowing out from the warm end with paved pathways, its amazing what you'll see in such a small area.
The first series is a fight over lunch, which happened right above me. They were so close, 400mm was too long!
The last image is a bit fuzzy due to my movement
More to come!
