eagle action

You may recall a few weeks ago that my eagle day was called off at lunch time due to rain. Well today it poured all morning and I drove to the falconry centre through floods and with little hope of catching up on the afternoon flying session today.

However the rain eased and light showers weren't going to stop us today. Watching golden eagles fly to the glove and, as in this shot, to catch a dragged rabbit was a real treat. The photography was a challenge both with the poor light and the speed of the bird but I think this shot captures the day pretty well.

It's interesting to see how the leather jesses are in front of the bird indicating the deceleration as the eagle goes for the kill. If it didn't decelerate I guess it would over shoot the prey.