Eagle Watching in Keokuk, Iowa

We heard the Bald Eagles were up the River in Keokuk, Iowa. 

So we drove up there hoping to see them and get some good photos. We parked at the launch ramp and there was a "Foot Path" to go further. Richard went out to see how the path looked and decided there was no way I was going to be able to walk it. He took the new camera and I stayed in the car. I drove back to where we had seen a young eagle in a tree and I was able to park in the perfect spot to watch the baby as he preened and enjoyed the sun.

 I love that I got this shot with the geese flying by behind him.

He noticed me and seemed to be okay with me sitting there watching with my camera.

He looked right at me 

and I love that I got this shot with the wind ruffling his feathers.

He went back to his preening as I kept the camera focused on him.

In the next photo~

If you look closely you can see a feather in his beak.

Richard came back to the car and we decided to go into town for lunch.

I love a sunny day with bright blue skies.

But I am still a Cali Girl and not used to the slippery ice that comes with the sunny blue skies in winter.

These small Midwestern towns are so interesting to me.

I love the architecture.

And I love Steeples ~

I just happened to capture this shot of the sun over the steeple as we were driving by

We ate lunch, drove around the town just a little bit and headed back to the Bridge to see if we could get more photos of the Bald Eagles.

We got so lucky!

An adult Bald Eagle came and perched on an outer branch in the sunlight where we could watch and get beautiful photographs.

These are the photos Richard took.

We watched as he reached his head all the way around behind him to preen his back...

Then he turned around so we could see his face and chest...

Richard wanted to go back to the Foot Path and he was able to get some more photos of another adult eagle.

It was a great afternoon of Eagle Watching in Keokuk...

The End

We went to the Dam in Quincy the next 2 days and got to see more eagles and took some beautiful photos. Since we were both taking pictures we have 100s to organize and sort through. I am working on getting them in order to share here and on Facebook.

Winter Adventures

One of the things I've learned living in the Midwest is that things change constantly. I'm saying... not just the Seasons, but from day to day. The weather is constantly changing and that creates landscape changes and wildlife changes. What I see one day can look totally different the next. This Winter is different from last year. The temperatures have been very very cold but there has been very little snow. We went to the River to photograph eagles and they weren't there for us. However... the frozen waves was a sight I had never seen before. 

Cool and beautiful! This is all ice.

Yep... the waves froze in motion. Isn't that amazing? I would love to see that as it happens.

 The spray froze. 

The sky was so blue it was reflected in the frozen waves...

What a treat for me! 

Waves freezing in motion and blue skies reflecting in them... Oh wow!!!

~

Since the eagles were not hanging around at Dam 21 we decided to head South and see if they were at the lower dam... Sadly, they weren't there either.

But... like I said... 

Things look different from day to day and I am always happy when I see something new and different.

We had visited Lovers Leap in Hannibal, MO, back in October.

 But the batteries in my camera had died that day and we just took some photos with the little pocket camera. This time the Winter (late afternoon) Sun gave a golden glow to the bare trees and the River was frozen and there was a train.

With 2 cameras and fully charged batteries...
 We both took in the scenes and the glow of the Winter Sun.

This is Downtown Hannibal, taken from Lovers Leap.

 I had not even noticed this building before. What a difference it makes when the trees are bare and the Sun is in a different place in the sky. 

And this one...

In this shot ~

 you can see the Lighthouse up on the hill to the left of the bridge. I didn't know there were lighthouses on rivers. You can also see where a barge has left a path in the ice down the middle of the Mighty Mississippi. 

There are Silos on the other side in Illinois and a factory in the distance.

Richard captured this beautiful shot of the Lighthouse.

A very nice photo by Richard Gertz.

:o)

Across the River you can see an Illinois farm.

And just because I am a nut and take silly pics like this...

A gate I had not noticed before...

Back on the road... heading home... 

I have shot this barn before but I got the whole scene this time.

One of my photo goals is to get a picture

 of all the windmills at this place ~

 but it is on the highway so I don't know how I'm going to do it.

I like the way this turned out 

with the farmhouse in the center highlighted by the late afternoon sun...

Fields of gold...

In the setting sun...

The geese seem to be having trouble getting their V and heading in the right direction.

The sun is going down and we are almost home.

Another day of new and different things is coming to an end.

Next weekend we will try to photograph the eagles again.

Who knows what we will find.

Always an adventure.

~

To see more photos go to 

Patty Hagedorn Photography on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patty-Hagedorn-Photography/629150070438274?ref=hl

A Summer Favorite

With temps below zero this week I decided to go back to the photos I took over the Summer that I hadn't shared. We did a few things this Summer like check out this Historic Dutch Windmill in Golden, IL. We stopped here late one afternoon. If you are interested in this History I have attached a Link to the Prairie Mills Windmill and Other Windmills.

Pretty cool... And the purple house next to the Windmill was just as intriguing to me...

Unfortunately the Prairie Mills Windmill was closed... But that was kind of a good thing

 because I could roam around and take the photos I wanted. In this picture you can see the New Mill across the street.

I loved the benches and the stones that were done as a memorial...

From this point of view you can see the whole thing with the purple house next door and also my guy waiting patiently for me in the Subaru while I took the photos. 

It looks like they are in the process of upgrading 

Cool old bell!

And that's it... We drove across the street to get a look at it from the front.

 I honestly had no idea there were working Old Mills in the Midwest.

 I would like to come back another day when it is open to get the full experience. And maybe visit the other Old Windmills in Illinois.

Here is a Link 

http://www.illinoiswindmills.org/index_files/Prairiemills.htm

Patty Hagedorn Photography

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patty-Hagedorn-Photography/629150070438274