Okay, I am watching another blowout in the Rose Bowl and to be honest, the most annoying part is having to listen to the most biased announcer in the lot – that’s right, I sleep with my USC teddy bear Brent Musberger.  Rather than put myself through anymore of that misery, I’ve decided turn off the TV volume and crank out the second part of the post on the Eagles.

Last I left you, we were viewing an elegant bird preparing to rip the innards out of a recently plucked from the river fish,  I figured I would provide a little better shot of the final pane of that collage to give you a perspective on that powerful beak.  For PETA’s sake I am sure he gently messaged it to sleep before he ripped right through the scales and started munching down on the nutrients.  Maybe if we ask him nicely he’ll switch to a steady diet of alfalfa sprouts.

Follow the jump for details on the actual catch.

The amazing thing about this particular shot is it was a catalyst for another set of photos of one actually grabbing a fish out of the water.  When the above bird came to rest to eat in the set of trees behind me, another eagle was sitting there watching the whole event (ironically the eagle in the first image of this post).  After watching him for awhile he/she must have decided it was hungry as well so flew off the branch and headed to the river.  After circling a few times, he angled toward the water.  Looking through the restricted view of the lens, it took me a couple of seconds to locate him and take the picture.  This was a split second two late, but this is what was captured:

You can see the point of grab a little in front as well as the results being clutched by the deadly claws.   That my friends is pure skill and the mark of a true hunter (for PETA, eyes in front vs eyes on the side.  As soon as I able to get the lens in the right direction, I started shooting away trying to match the flight of the eagle as he/she began their ascent.  I collaged a few shots to again give the feel.  Focus a tad off again, but ecstatic I was able to keep the lens tracking correctly.  Amazing they can change direction that quick to keep from hitting the water.

With pure luck, the eagle crossed back over me heading to the original resting place.  This gave a perfect view of the catch.  Something tells me he is not going to give that up for anything.

My favorite shot is still the first eagle’s approach with a fish.  The sun was in a better position and it shows a little bit more detail in the wings and fish scales.  Here is a bigger version of it so you don’t have to swap back to that post.

Looks like that is about all I have for this two part post.  I hope you enjoyed, but we’ve come to the end:

Excuse me, that would the end of the POST, not my END… I said, stop taking pictures of my butt…

Okay, enough fun for the day.  Let me know what you think.  Oh, and before I forget since me brother put down a challenge on me in the year end summary comments, the current 2009 totals for graphic content is:

Dead Reckonings 0 images

Life Intrigued  19 images

lol – I know he is working on a big post so I need to get these jabs in while I can.