Eagle eyes

COEUR d’ALENE — One moment, Ron Reeve, Steven Peak and Kevin Dockter are standing and chatting on a snowy Friday morning near Higgens Point.

The next, a bald eagle flies above the cove they're watching and dips toward Lake Coeur d’Alene.

That’s when cameras come up.

Reeve’s Nikon D500 with a 150-600mm Sigma lens quietly clicks off 10 frames per second. He holds the button down for about five seconds. It sounds like a machine gun with a silencer.

The eagle fades into the distance. All three casually lower their cameras and resume their conversation. 

This is why photographers come to Higgens Point. They seek  to capture images of the majestic eagles in flight, snagging kokanee from the water’s surface and sitting on branches enjoying a well-deserved meal.

The action is good, at least for these few minutes.

“Today, this has been the spot,” Reeve said.

It’s prime time for eagle watching around Wolf Lodge Bay. Their numbers have been rising, according to the Bureau of Land Management, reaching 181 on Monday, up from 110 the previous week and a huge jump from 29 eagles two weeks ago.

Their allure is strong and hundreds will visit Higgens Point and Mineral Ridge each day. 

Most carry cameras. 

Rachelle Thomas was heading to work on Friday mid-morning and driving back up Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive when she saw eagle activity about a half-mile up from the Higgens Point boat launch and pulled over.

She snapped a few frames before she was joined by her boyfriend. They have been coming to Higgens Point since well before Thanksgiving in search of eagles.

It’s been a good season but both expect it to get even better as more eagles arrive before continuing their migration south.

Thomas said they’ll go far for photos and talked of their pursuit of owls and other wildlife.

“We’ve been all the way to Canada,” she said.

Reeve has been shooting eagles at Higgens for about 15 years.

“It’s been slow this year, but this is early in the season,” he said. 

Reeve is well protected from the 30-degree temperature, with boots, snow pants, gloves, jacket and a stocking cap that just leaves space for eyes and nose.

When an eagle leaves a tree and flies toward the lake, Reeve stops talking and gets down to business.

“Excuse me,” he says.

He raises his camera. In the next 10 seconds, he fires off about 100 frames.

He lowers it as the eagle leaves, too far away for a good photo.

“If I wasn't here, I might have my kayak and be out paddling around,” Reeve said. “I got  a whole series of pictures from my kayak with a shorter lens of a blue heron catching and eating  fish.”

He pulls out his phone and begins scrolling. He finds what he's after. A picture shows an eagle, talons in the water, a big splash, and blue sky.

It is beautiful.

“This is one of my favorites,” Reeve said.

A photographer since the '70s, he said it’s easier today. 

“When you can shoot a thousand photos and delete 90% of them, you have a chance of getting something good,” he said.

Asked what it takes to capture great eagle images, the photographers talk amongst themselves as they recite a short list: time, patience, persistence and experience.

“You‘ve got to be out here on a regular basis,” Reeve said.

Peak compared it to hunting, but instead of a rifle, he’s packing a camera.

“Sometimes when they're sitting in a tree, you’ve just got to sit there for 20-30 minutes watching them, waiting,” Peak said. 

And good equipment is a must.

“You’ve got to have good glass,” Peak said. 

The photographers recognize certain eagles. Some are camera shy. 

“You bring your camera up and they’re gone,” Peak said.

Others seem to like the attention. There’s a juvenile eagle that’s been putting on a good show.

“I’ve seen her catch 12 fish in one day,” said one photographer. 

Peak said some eagles are regulars.

“I call them locals,” he said. 

It’s not just about trying to get a great picture. Most don’t sell them. This isn't about money. They share them on social media. Perhaps get a few prints made for gifts. Mostly, they just love it.

Peak and the others enjoy being in nature, watching eagles and sharing stories of their latest adventures. They show pictures they’ve taken and explain where they got them. This is a talkative group that shares advice about shutter speed, ISO and aperture settings.

“You learn from somebody else,” Reeve said. 

Not all photographers are chatty, however.

One man, when asked how things were going, shook his head and made it clear he wasn’t there for banter.

“Not good,” he said as he returned to his car and closed the door.

Peak said some are serious and don’t want to be disturbed.

“Some people get a little excited if you walk down the path and you spook their bird,” Reeve said.

The photographers agreed there are fewer eagles at Higgens these days than in years past, due to the crowds. More people drive there, some bringing dogs with them, so the eagles fly across the lake for peace and solitude.

Still, Higgens is a favorite hang out. Many eagles are still there early morning and thus, so are photographers.

Peak, a social type who seems to know everyone, said he usually visits Higgens at daylight, goes home for lunch, and returns late afternoon before sunset.

“I like to visit everybody,” he said.

He smiles as he shows a photo he took of several eagles in one tree. There is a sense of pride.

“That’s right down here,” he said. “It’s called the eagle tree."

Photographers won't be far away.

    Steve Peak, left, and Kevin Dockter take pictures of a bald eagle on Friday near Higgens Point.
  

    A bald eagle soars over Lake Coeur d'Alene on Friday.
  

    An eagle flies away with a fish on Friday.
  

    Two eagles fly high near Lake Coeur d'Alene on Friday.
  

    Ron Reeve focuses as he takes pictures of a bald eagle near Higgens Point on Friday morning.