Where To Photo Bald Eagles in New York
Only found in North America the bald eagle was adopted as the symbol of the United States because of its independence and strength. It’s also one of the largest birds of prey found in North America which makes the lure of photographing these amazing birds so strong.
While bald eagles are no longer listed as endangered, bald eagles are still on New York State’s list of threatened species so penalties of up to $20,000 and / or up to one year in jail for any person who harasses, disturbs, or injures a bald eagle, as these actions are considered federal offenses.
However in 2010, the Department of Environmental Conservation reported that there were over 170 breeding pairs of bald eagles throughout New York State, and the number each year continues to rise.
Up State New York Locations
These locations have been known to have bald eagles in, however you should observe some rules before heading there.
Do not take your pets with you, it’s very wise to leave pets at home when you go eagle watching. Try to avoid eagle roosting areas, humans could disturb their habitats and cause bald eagles some distress. Don’t approach or get closer to eagles than 400 yards, so take some long lenses with you or teleconverters. Also for your safety and the birds, try and keep quiet, this will also help them feel safe in their environment.
- Kitchel Bay in Lake George
- Route 48 in Oswego
- Little Clear Pond in Waverly
- Anthony’s Nose in Lake George
- Bog River Flow near Tupper Lake
- The Papacton Reservoir
- Osgood Pond in Brighton
- West Canada Lake Wilderness
- Ausable Point in Peru
- Lincoln Pond close to Elizabethtown
- Schroon Lake in the Adirondack Park
- Long Island at Lake George
What You Need
Your camera gear will make or break your trip, a decent gimbal style tripod head will help tremendously for wildlife photography, I highly recommend the Wimberley WH-200 Gimbal Tripod Head II which can be used on any of the tripods I’ve previously suggested for travel photography.
Of course you will be doing plenty of sitting down, a light weight stool such as a Walkstool most will be fine with the 55cm version, if you are taller then get a longer Walkstool. They are always high on my list of items to take for wildlife adventures, as you are dependent on nature being nature, plus it will save your knees, trust me.
For safety take along a GPS unit or even better a Garmin InReach so friends or family will always know where you are even when off the grid or if you get into trouble. With the added feature of being able to breadcrumb your way there and back through trails you maybe unfamiliar with.
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