I parked near the Tuff Boat Ramp watching a Bald Eagle perched in a large cottonwood tree. This was at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

The Bald Eagle flew down from the tree after something in or on the water. I didn’t see it catch anything but it must have been near a log that was floating in the river. The Eagle landed on this log and began searching on the backside of it. It stayed on this log for several minutes before flying south across the river.

Bald Eagle On Log
Bald Eagle On Log

I was sitting in my pickup parked on the auto tour road near the edge of the Arkansas River. This is west of the Tuff Boat Ramp (The Tuff Boat Ramp is the first boat ramp on the auto tour road).

I see a pair of Bald Eagles in the same large Cottonwood Tree on most of my early morning visits. This has been going on for several years. I’m surprised that they don’t have a nest in this tree.

I had my Canon EOS 7D camera with a Canon EF500mm f/4L IS USM lens attached and resting on a bean bag draped over the open window of my pickup.

Camera Settings

  • AV Mode
  • Aperture: f8
  • ISO: 640
  • Shutter speed: 1/800 of a second
  •  Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV
  • Focal Length: 500 mm