In the early years of photographing eagles, I felt pretty content to get any shot I could. The background didn’t matter all that much…even a clear blue sky was fine if the bird looked good. These days, I’m finding myself happier with photos that show more habitat…and particularly those with some ice and snow. You know without question that it’s cold. That wintertime is the setting. And I think that’s important because it tells the tale of the eagle here in the Midwest. Of course we see them year round now…they are nesting in many places these days…but the winter eagles…the congregations that can number in the hundreds…that will only happen in the winter. And it’s a prime time for getting shots like this one over the Credit Island backwaters.