Trip Report: Bald Eagles of Alaska - November 2024

Haines is a classic Southeastern Alaska town. An unassuming and rustic fishing town with plenty of charm and a scenic backdrop that rivals any resort town across the country. In November, the summer crowds and cruise ship tourists have left. There is a quietness across main street. While Haines is going through shoulder season, just up valley the crowds of eagles are building. As other water sources begin to freeze, the eagles congregate on the wide braided Chilkat River, feeding on the last of the spawning salmon. This gathering of eagles is what has brought me and seven intrepid photographers to Haines, eager to photograph North America’s most famous bird.

During our orientation, I asked the group what their goals were for the trip. Unsurprisingly, everyone wanted to improve their photography and get some nice photos of the eagles in action. That was very doable I told them. A few of them also mentioned that they were hopeful to see a bear. I quickly let them know that this was not the right time of year and not to get their hopes up. I was pretty confident we wouldn’t see one.

The next morning, we went upstream in search of eagles. We stopped at one of the pullouts in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, a place we would come to know well over the next few days. We jumped out of the van and began shooting the dozens of eagles sitting on the beaches and branches. Within a few minutes of our arrival, someone came down the sidewalk and told us there was a bear coming up the river! We quickly got prepared to safely photograph this bear and sure enough, a few minutes later it emerged on the beach below us. To our surprise, it stopped right on our bend of the river where it snagged salmon after salmon for almost forty-five minutes. We were all so excited and got some really nice images. I couldn’t believe that after pouring cold water on our prospects of seeing a bear, we had encountered one fifteen minutes into the trip!

After the bear excitement, we turned our attention back to the eagles. It was almost overwhelming trying to decide what eagle to take a picture of. We moved back and forth looking for close perched eagles in the trees or on driftwood by the water. We were always ready to catch a flyby if one was coming up or down river. We developed a shorthand of “coming left” or “coming right” to let each other know of eagles approaching our view. The day ended with an eagle who brought a fish to our side of the river where we could get tight portraits. It was a really productive start to the trip!

This trip is not so much about seeing new terrain, it's about spending a lot of time with the eagles so we can photograph different atmospheres, light, and behaviors. With this in mind, we spent the next couple days largely returning to the same two or three pullouts in the eagle preserve, oscillating between whichever of the viewpoints currently had the most birds in the area. This approach paid off dividends for us as we were able to really spend time with the eagles and capture them in some really nice situations.

One afternoon we arrived in a heavy snowstorm. I sensed some hesitation in the van but encouraged the group that this added weather could provide a really cool element to our photos. We jumped out of the van, grabbed our rain covers and spent the next few hours photographing eagles in the snow and rain. We were able to capture some really cool shots of falling snow around the eagles.

The next morning, we made our way out to the the van in the predawn hours ready to load up for the day. I reached for the handle of the back door in the van but nothing was there. I grasped a few times at the handle before my groggy brain realized it was gone.  “I could have sworn there was a handle here last night”, I thought to myself. We found the handle, broken and on the ground. The car next to us had its door wide open. We assumed that someone must have been trying to break into the cars in the middle of the night. When I talked to the front desk about it, she laughed and explained that there was a resident brown bear who has a knack for opening car doors. It had been captured on video all over town going from car to car pulling on the door handles. Thankfully our van was empty and the door locked, so the bear moved on after it broke the handle. It was a memorable story and a stark reminder of the wildness of Alaska.

Southeast Alaska is notorious for its cloudy, wet weather. This trip had been no exception. Minus a few glimpses of light, we largely had low-hanging clouds and gloomy weather. On our last morning with the eagles, we arrived on sight to a dense fog. As we got set up and began shooting some nearby eagles, the fog began to dissipate revealing the massive mountains previously hidden by the clouds. What unfolded was a perfect Alaskan scene and we were able to make some really nice environmental portraits. The rest of the day followed suit, revealing the epic mountains that had surrounded us the whole time.

Our last morning of the trip, we opted to check out the neighboring valley for a little landscape photography. Luck continued to be on our side as the sun broke through the clouds illuminating the snow caped peaks. We worked our way up to Chilkoot Lake, spotting a handful of eagles, but mainly enjoying the serenity of the lake. It was a perfect way to conclude an amazing trip. Thanks to all who came and made the experience great. See you guys out there on the next adventure!