Getting Up Close and Personal to a Bald Eagle

I have been fortunate to have been able to get fairly close to Bald Eagles when photographing/observing them locally. But, these eagles have all been perched in trees or above me in another type of substrate. It is quite obvious that they are well aware of my approach as they more often than not, eventually turn and face me. My wildlife lens is on the short range of the spectrum (300mm), so when I am within 50 yards, I am feeling pretty good. It is never my intent to alter their behavior whatsoever. So, when they make this turn to look at me, I discern that I am too close and I try to back away and get into some type of cover to conclude my observation or to photograph.
However, finding a Bald Eagle on the ground and acting normally is quite exciting! Exhilarating in fact! To me, they are out of their element as generally, they are either flying, on the hunt, or perched. So, when I observed one of the nesting pair that I document at Honey Bee Golf Course in VA Beach, on the ground, very late one afternoon, I was almost giddy with excitement. The golf course had closed for the day and the weather was cold and blustery. I could see the eagle, about 400 yards away, way out of range for my 300mm lens. So, I started to walk. I met an employee putting away the golf carts and asked permission to walk to course and he waved me ahead. I had a couple of friends meeting me so I contacted them to give them my location. There would be three of us “stalking” this eagle.
The ground was pretty soggy from previous rain, but the three of us maneuvered it fairly quickly.  We crossed a small bridge across the North Landing River and soon we were in the middle of a vacant fairway. The eagle was still about 100 yards from us and across a water hazard on the course. We closed the distance to about 50 yards, the big pond still separating us and the eagle. The eagle was eating a fish at the water’s edge. By then, I am sure it either saw or sensed our presence, but it finished the meal and began hopping away from us. We froze in position. It went almost up to the golf cart path with a row of houses behind it, and began looking at pine tree branches on the ground. It “mantled” over one. Mantling means it is concealing the object (usually prey) from another bird or potential predator. After a few minutes, it made its choice, and began the flight to take its prize back to the nest. We were still snapping as the Bald Eagle flew into the sunset.
This was the closest I have ever been to a wild, healthy Bald Eagle on the ground. I guess the eagle did not perceive us three humans as a threat. We did have a lot of water between us; perhaps it understood that we could not cross that obstacle. As for us, we were so thankful to have witnessed this Bald Eagle, up close and personal. And so grateful for being able to experience it as a group. Special experiences are more special if they are shared.