A Pair of Eagles

I drove down to Larose, LA today to photograph a well test.  It's about a three hour drive from home.  On the way, I received a call from the client stating that the well test was delayed and that I didn't need to be in a hurry.  I decided to take a detour off of highway 90 and run by Bayou Black near Gibson.  I stopped at the marina there and inquired about Black Guidry.  Mr. Guidry runs the best swamp tour in the state under the name Cajun Man Swamp Tours.   The marina operator said that Black has been laid up with a hip replacement and isn't running the tours until he recovers.  Oh well.  I was hoping to catch a ride out in the swamp to photograph the bald eagles.  And I wondered about the eagles that Black had trained to circle his boat.  Did they miss the snacks he fed them?

Well, I drove out of the marina and headed back toward highway 90.  As I drive, I always look for interesting birds.  Well, sure enough, right up ahead I spotted a pair of bald eagles cruising toward me right above the roadway.  I pulled over on the side with no traffic.  I looked out the window and up at the eagles with no time to grab a camera.  One eagle flew on by.  The other slowed down to take a look at me, almost as if it was looking for a hand out.  Could this be the same pair of eagles that I had seen Black Guidry feed during many trips to Black Bayou?  I wondered.

Here are some old photos from Black Bayou.  This is one of the eagles that Mr. Guidry "trained" to circle the boat before picking up a piece of fatty raw chicken that he had thrown into the water. 

The first photo is the one that I licensed to the Drug Enforcement Agency (a bureau of the Department of Justice) for inclusion in their poster design celebrating the 35th anniversary of the DEA.  They sent the poster out to all the agents around the world.  They also used the photo on coffee mugs sold in their gift shop. 

(click photo to enlarge)

I may take my boat down to Black Bayou this year.  Let me know if you want a ride.