Please indulge me today as I finish up my week-long photo essay on the wonderful retention basin on 16th Street in Dubuque.  I ask for your indulgence because I finally break my abstinence of posting eagle images.   I have to admit, however,  they are not my best eagle images.

About a week ago I talked about the juvenile eagle that took food away from three mature eagles.  Well this is that eagle.  After he had his battles and had eaten his food he flew over the pond several times much like a victory flight.

This is one tough bird.  I wish there was some way to track him because it would be fun to see him when he is fully developed and matured.

This is one of the worst shots I have.  He was really too far away to get a good image of him.  As my friend Andreas pointed out in his blog this morning.  There are a huge number of power lines and power line structures that encase the pond.   It is very difficult to capture a flying bird because of all the power lines and structures around it.   Often times the auto focus mechanism of the camera will pick up the lines or the towers instead of the wild life that you are following.

I just hope the city, county, and state understand what a wonderful thing they have here.  The wildlife have adopted this as their home, which means it has the opportunity to become a robust nature center.  It can become a wonderful place for bird watchers,  conservationist, photographers, and nature lovers to enjoy God’s gifts to us. If we take care of it.

I hope we are all smart enough to realize what we really have here and help nurture it, promote it, and take care of  it.   I am not a true nature photographer like my friend Andreas, who studies wild life and takes great pains to capture them in their best form.  But I do appreciate and enjoy wildlife and I hope we can fully develop this area so that generations to come my enjoy it.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your Thursday and be careful.