Conowingo Dam and Bald Eagles

Vultures

Towers were a gathering spot for birds

Plenty of parking yesterday

Susquehanna River running high

Peregrine Falcon

Only two bald eagles I saw all afternoon

I recently saw a TV special on Maryland public television about photographing bald eagles at the Conowingo Dam in Maryland. I was intrigued and decided to drive a couple of hours to the dam and see it for myself. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong day for action. After speaking to one photographer who comes regularly, he said the river was running too high and turbulent for the eagles to see any fish. Therefore, the eagles were simply not there.

Conowingo Dam is a hydro electric dam built over the Susquehanna River in the north east corner of the sate of Maryland. The bald eagles are attracted to the fishing opportunities that occur when fish pass through the dam and get dumped back into the river in a state of shock. From what I could gather, it's not uncommon to see hundreds of eagles on a winter day between November and February, as they battle for fish. Its also common to see dozens and dozens of nature photographers trying to capture the best shots of the eagles.

I arrived to the dam around 1:00pm and found plenty of parking and only a handful of photographers on the scene. If it was a busier day, parking could be problematic I would imagine. I waited around for a few hours until near sunset. I have to admit, it was hard to stand around and be patient. I watched wave after wave of vultures flying overhead but no eagles. I saw some geese and a peregrine falcon near the dam. I had to remind myself that it was nice to not be preoccupied with a phone or computer screen, and just let the time pass. The only two eagles I saw occurred just before calling it a day. They were perched in the tower, and I only saw them because other photographers were taking their pictures.

That being said, I learned a few things for the next time.

1. On an ideal day, it would be wise to get there early. There was plenty of parking when I arrived, but on a good day, spots might get filled quickly.

2. It was cold!!! Standing around for hours made it colder. I thought I had on plenty of layers, but I would dress even warmer next time. I would probably bring a generous amount of a warm beverage.

3. There were port a potties on the spot. Therefore, I would have no misgivings about consuming that warm beverage next time.

4. Ideally a camera with a significant zoom is needed. Most photographers I saw had telescope lenses attached to their cameras. My 50x zoom may not be enough to get good images.

5. I also did not know what to look for. Another photographer pointed out the falcon for me. I also could not distinguish juvenile bald eagles with vultures.

6. It might be a good idea to bring binoculars. The river is wider than I imagined.