Mama and baby eagle

I still think there's more than one baby in my favorite eagle's nest. If you look right below mama, there's a grayish-black blob that could be a head. This first image was taken just about a minute before the second.

This is when I wish I had just a little longer telephoto. These eagles are the main reason I bought a 100-400 mm lens last year. That's really the largest lens that you can hand-hold without a tripod, although I try to use a tripod most of the time when I'm photographing wildlife. The nest is at least 100 yards from where I'm photographing. And it's almost always very dark. Even with sunshine bathing the nest, like it is here, the image isn't quite sharp.
I really love this one, sharp or not-so-sharp.

 You can see that baby has just about lost all of his fluff. By this time next month, he'll be getting ready to take his first flight - and become a fledgling.

As baby sauntered off for a nap, mama had a chat with papa who was on watch at the top of the tall tree next to the nest tree. Another day in the life of an extraordinary eagle clan. Be sure to check out my Talons Gallery for new work I'm adding. Let me know if there are others you'd like to see in print. I'll be exhibiting in Gig Harbor, Tumwater, and Olympia this summer and fall. For the Birds & the Trees exhibit schedule.