HK: A Brief History

I took my first photo of banded Bald Eagle “HK” in late Fall, 2011. The next several years of documenting this young eagle’s behavior through photography has changed my life!
HK is a male Bald Eagle who was hatched at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in 2009. The NBG Eagle Cam was watched by thousands of people worldwide, including me. I saw HK and his 2 siblings being fed by their parents, exercising their wings, and being banded at the nest via the eagle cam. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine coming face to face with HK only 2 years later, in the wild, in his natural habitat and territory.
On a cold November afternoon in 2011, I was reviewing some Bald Eagle photos I had taken earlier that day at Honey Bee Golf Course. I was very surprised to see that a young eagle I had photographed in flight was wearing both a silver and a purple band. This was a band I was familiar with from watching the eaglets banded at Norfolk Botanical Garden on the eagle cam two years earlier. I forwarded the photo to local expert Reese Lukei and waited. He confirmed that it was indeed an NBG banded “sub-adult.” Several weeks later, another photographer was able to capture a photo, read the purple band letters, and HK was officially identified.
The last 6 years I have faithfully visited Honey Bee and some other areas on the North Landing River. More often than not, I can locate HK somewhere. I have photographed him thousands of times. I share these observations on Facebook: Honey Beagles and More. I think I can safely say that HK is probably the most photographed Bald Eagle in the Tidewater area, and not just by me. He is often seen perched along S. Independence Blvd. in the Honey Bee area on transmission towers. It’s not unusual to see him literally stop traffic.
The single large disappointment I have experienced is HK’s failure to find a mate to share a beautiful nest with that he has built on the golf course. He has had the same long time companion for several years now, but this stunning female eagle has yet to lay eggs there. HK adds many sticks and grasses to it every year. There is much speculation whether this is an “alternate nest” or a golf course “condo.”  And HK, his companion, and other eagles are often photographed there. But, the sad fact remains, no young eaglets have fledged from this now massive nest.
As ever, I am hopeful that the next year will bring HK a stunning, perfect mate. As for me, I will be quietly watching and clicking.

Keeping up with Banded Bald Eagle HK

I have been  keeping up with banded Bald Eagle HK just over 5 years now. A lot of tracking HK is done by driving around my Honda Pilot, known as the "bird mobile." HK, like all Eagles, has some favorite perching places and I have gotten to know where he goes over the years. One such location is a series of high tension electrical towers and a cell tower all on S. Independence Blvd. These are generally the first places I check. Here is a photo of HK in one of his favorite places, one of the towers with last season's Osprey nest.

Here is a photo of HK and longtime girlfriend Sterling in another. Sterling on top. I usually get out of the bird mobile to take these photos.

When the Eagles take off, it's back into the bird mobile to try to find them again.
On this day, HK visited his nest on Honey Bee Golf Course for lunch and to move sticks around. I usually stay in the SUV or just beside it to take these pictures, so as not to spook him. I use the SUV as a type of blind.

When he takes off, the searching starts once again. Sometimes I put 15 miles on the vehicle looking.
HK also likes the area by the clubhouse. It's an area also seen from S. Independence Blvd.

Not all days are productive. Some days no Eagles are seen. But the area has an abundance of wildlife, so there is usually something interesting to see!

The Back Bay Bobcat(s)

I didn't go to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to look for a bobcat on Friday morning. I went to look for a bird; a Bullock's Oriole to be exact. A rare bird for Virginia Beach.
I am not a "bird chaser," but when they are practically in my own backyard, I'll go try to have a look. I had missed seeing a Lesser Goldfinch earlier in the week that was close by so when this Oriole popped up on eBird at Back Bay, I skedaddled down there!
I parked close to where I thought it had been sighted and walked down the short Charles Kuralt Trail. There were few birds and after a Cooper's Hawk flew over they all disappeared.

And, as always, the view at the end of the trail was stunning. I thought about how Charles Kuralt had been here long ago.

So, I turned back and started slowly walking back down the trail.
After several yards I saw something move at the end of the trail. A dog, I thought. Then I remembered that dogs are not allowed on the Refuge, "not even in your vehicle." It's on signage at the entrance. What the heck did I see then? I picked up the pace and stopped abruptly because I saw this: A freaking bobcat!!! That's my burgundy Honda Pilot behind it!

I flipped the camera setting to auto and I am not afraid to admit that. The sun was in my face and I knew the bobcat had a great view of me! My heart was beating wildly. But, the bobcat simply sat down in the sun....and closed its eyes. A bobcat cat nap!

Not for long. It started walking toward me. Dang, it was looking right at me!

It got VERY close, made a turn and stopped completely to stare at me. I was clicking away, trying to hold my breath.  This is a final, edited version.

Then as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. And I went birding for about an hour. I had no luck finding the Bullocks Oriole but saw a bunch of other birds before I headed back to my car to take off my coat and try again.  I decided to sit in my car and finish my coffee, hoping the bird and maybe even the bobcat would reappear.
And by gosh, there was the bobcat....AGAIN! But, this time THERE WERE TWO OF THEM!

I could not believe it!! SO I slipped out of the car and started shooting, just as a birding friend of mine came up. Hopefully, I wasn't rude but this was another once in a lifetime thing in the same day! There are challenges getting two wild things in the same picture but I gave it my best shot!

I got both of their beautiful faces though! Plus a check off my bucket list and an encounter I will never forget!