Eagles at conowingo dam

If you're a bird lover, or a photographer with a big lens, now is the time to head to Conowingo Dam in Maryland to photograph the 100 or so bald eagles there. Weather forecast for this weekend is for sunny skies and high temperatures in the 40s.

Was there over the weekend and the viewing platforms looked like a used camera shop. There must have been 40 big lenses, that is, from 300 to 800 mm lenses. Apparently, Conowingo is becoming the place to be to photograph the eagles on this side of the Mississippi River. Even if you don't have the big lenses, there are enough of the birds around that even a 200mm lens can capture an image worth saving, like the mug shot of the pair of eagles sitting in the tree below. The eagles are huge and relatively slow moving, so don't be intimidated. They are easy to photograph-- getting close enough is the key.

Also, there is almost always someone there displaying scrapbooks or photographs who can answer your questions about shooting or equipment.

My 20x spotting scope caught eight eagles in one stationary single view Sunday. Sweeping the east side of the river, I counted 47 eagles at one time. Aside from eagles, there are as many great blue herons and hundreds of vultures (mostly black, not turkey).

To find the largest concentration of eagles in the world, take a trip to Haines, Alaska, where 3-4,000 of the birds congregate in early winter before the rivers freeze over and close off the food supply.

Some fabulous photographers make a chunk of money there, and some teach the rest of us how to become better photographers during the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival, which will be held November 14-18. While seeing 100 eagles at Conowingo is certainly impressive, imagine the masses in Haines. I counted 20 eagles in one tree when I was there a few years ago. There are so many birds that, after a while, one must be careful not to be desensitized to the scene.

Birds by Kim offers some interesting suggestions and displays wonderful photos from Conowingo. Also, you might check Learn to Take Horse Pictures (trust me) or Wildlife South.


To reach the dam (about an hour's drive from downtown York) and the viewing platforms from which to photograph the birds, drive south on state route 74 into Maryland, left on state route 136, and left again to U.S. route 1. Just before reaching the dam, turn right on Shuresville Road, and then left on Shuresville Landing Road, a narrow, winding road that takes visitors down to the river. Once at river level, take another left and drive to the dam.
For information concerning water release, which normally attracts more birds, call this automated number--  1.888.457.4076
 The Visitor Center, located just south of the Dam on Route 1 at 4948 conwingo Road, is open year-round on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year's Day.  To learn more about Conowingo, please visit www.exeloncorp.com/conowingo.