Back to Big Beef Creek

I knew when I went to Colorado that I would miss the beginning of the Sculpin runs at Big Beef Creek with their heron and eagle gatherings, but I also know it’s impossible to see everything you want to see during Spring migration. Try as I might, I can’t manage to be at Bottle Beach, Malheur, Big Bear River, and Big Beef Creek all at the same time even though there are great pictures to be taken at all of them at precisely the same time.

I started thinking about Big Beef Creek as soon as I got back from Colorado, but it was nearly impossible to find the right high tide and sunshine on the same day. As it turned out, despite the forecast for sunshine, it was cloudy when I finally managed to get to Big Beef Creek.

Not only that, I managed to get there nearly two hours before I needed to. Unfortunately, that is not unusual for me because I have a habit of always being early.

Luckily, I wasn’t the only one anticipating the Sculpin run. We were greeted by this Bald Eagle as we drove up.

EgleOnPol

This Bald Eagle flew back and forth between the telephone pole and trees across the road for an hour before other birds began to show up.

Needless to say, I got too many shots of it.

Antcpation

Luckily, there were a lot of other birds around, too, like this Crow

CrowWlk

and this gull.

BeefGull

I even had time to visit with two professional photographers from Spokane before the herons and eagles arrived. They gave me a number of helpful hints on using my new Canon EOS 7D Mark II. I’m always learning new ideas from talking to other bird photographers at places like this, but I was more than ready when the first Great Blue Herons began to arrive.

HeronFlyngIn

Once the herons arrive, you can count on the Sculpin and Eagles showing up right afterwards.

2 thoughts on “Back to Big Beef Creek”

Comments are closed.