Two Bald Eagles caught my eye on the auto tour road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. They were perched in a shrub at the water’s edge, and when I got my camera on them, I could see one had a large fish.
A short time later, it lifted off with the fish in its talons and headed out across the water.
Bald Eagle Carrying Fish at Sequoyah NWR: Wildlife Notes
Bald Eagles are a reliable sight at Sequoyah NWR, particularly along the auto tour road where open water and good perch trees give them easy access to fish.
I have been seeing Bald Eagle chicks peeking out of nests in other areas of the refuge, so this behavior fit right in. The fish was almost certainly being carried back to feed chicks in the nest. Based on that, I’m confident these two eagles were a mated pair working the area together.
Photography Notes
This was a quick long-distance opportunity, so I had to react fast. Since I was hand-holding the lens, I was able to stay with the eagle as it lifted off and moved across the scene.
Camera Settings:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Lens: Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
- Focal length: 800 mm
- Aperture: f/10
- Shutter speed: 1/2000
- ISO: 640
- Exposure compensation: -2/3
- Support: Hand-held
The fast shutter speed helped me freeze the eagle in flight and keep the fish visible. At that range, getting a frame sharp enough to show the action was the main goal.
Worth Every Minute on the Auto Tour Road
This was one of those refuge moments that happened fast but stuck with me. Spotting two Bald Eagles in the distance was already enough to make me stop, but seeing one take off with a fish made it a lot better.
If you want to see how Bald Eagles handle their catch once they settle in, I covered that in another post: Young Bald Eagle Enjoys a Catfish Meal.