Eagle Scout

I drove up to Lake Casitas this week to see if I could find and photograph one or more of the resident eagles.  After taking a wrong turn and ending up on some dirt roads not suited to the Mini, I finally found the right place.  Pretty easy once you know where it is.  It was a beautiful morning but very cold up there: 20 degrees!  Sadly, smoke from another fire, this one near Santa Paula, was visible on the eastern horizon.  Anyway, here's the results of my efforts:

I was on the road at 6 am so I would arrive at Lake

Casitas by sunrise.  It was beautiful, but surprisingly

cold:  20 degrees F!

After arriving at the known eagle habitat, I parked and

soon spotted an eagle perched at the top of a dead tree.

The lack of foliage made it much easier to

capture an unobstructed view.

It didn't take long for the eagle-eyed eagle to

get uncomfortable with me working my way

closer, and it soon flew off to a nearby

eucalyptus tree.

It took quite a while for me to spot it hidden in the

branches of the eucalyptus, and even longer to

find a place where I could get a clear shot while

avoiding the area closed for 'environmental

sensitivity.'   (Presumably to prevent people

from driving away the eagles.)

After I felt I'd gotten what images I could before the

light was gone, I drove around the lake a bit.

Smoke from the Maria fire in the sky

Time to enjoy a cup of coffee at the café before heading

home.