Early arrivals

We’ve been patiently waiting for the arrival of the bald eagles from the north as the temperatures drop and the lakes which provide food for the birds become inaccessible. There have been several sightings of birds passing through, but they have been distant and on the move. And so, we decide to take off for Pennsylvania to one of our favorite eagle-havens outside of the Hudson valley….the Delaware River. Riding beside the river along Route 97 between Port Jervis and Barryville, we keep a keen eye out for perched eagles, but they are not to be found. Finally, we end up at the parking area in Lackawaxen, PA at the confluence of the river of the same name and the Delaware. We are rewarded for our efforts in grand style as two magnificent mature eagles are perched at close proximity and in clear view. When we first found the two birds, there were two other cars at the lot. Ah, the miracle of technology……cell phones start to appear and within 10 minutes there are no fewer than a dozen vehicles, each producing eagle enthusiasts and each of them producing a bigger lens! We estimate conservatively that there is between $65,000 and $70,000 worth of photographic equipment. I am, I have to admit, guilty of “lens envy” but this display of imaging power present in the lot is easily eclipsed by the fantastic images provided by our avian subjects.