Big Catch

WRPerry and I met at 6 a.m. to drive about 1.5 hours north to the Conowingo Dam along the Susquehanna River, in Darlington, Maryland.  The dam is an electricity generation plant.  When the turbines are running, large intake valves suck water and fish through the dam providing excellent feeding for the dozens of Bald Eagles that winter there each year.  The fish are stunned when they come over the dam and it is easy pickings for the birds. This is the best location for viewing Bald Eagles east of the Mississippi River and subsequently, it is overrun with photographers from all over the country.  Weekends are impossible and because of those who decide to come for long weekends that include Friday and Monday, we decided Weds would be the best day to go.  When we arrived at 7:30 a.m., we got the last spot in the very large parking lot.  There were lots of eagles to be seen, but because of the very warm fall, they are quite late arriving, so Wendy and I have decided to go back in a couple of weeks when there will be even more of them. I am including two more images in the extras that show you the photographers.  There is a large deck which accommodates a good number of photographers, but along the fence which goes for several hundred yards, is where they were packed in like sardines.  I am sure the value of the camera gear far exceeded the value of the cars in the parking lot.