Our company has a very important customer in Fernandina Beach, Florida, on the north end of Amelia Island (we do heavy industrial electrical work). When we have a major undertaking for them, I do my best to volunteer myself to help out with the project. Sometimes it bites me in the butt, but sometimes I get the opportunity to see some amazing wildlife. Such has been the case over the past few weeks.

First, let me say (for those of you who don’t already know), Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island are a wonderful place to visit!! The people are friendly, the food is excellent, the scenery and the beaches are beautiful (and not too crowded), and there is an abundance of unique wildlife. Our guys busted their butts, as usual, and did an outstanding job of getting our customer back up and running. It’s what we do, and if I may say, we do it well.

I had been watching some YouTube videos of different people’s outdoor adventures around the island. I learned about Spoonbill Pond from one of them, which really captured my attention and intrigue. I have seen where Roseate Spoonbills roost on the north end of the island before. I even did a drone video of them in a recent post. So, naturally, I wanted to see them again on Spoonbill Pond. I didn’t have much time the first few days, because of work. When I did swing by there one afternoon, I didn’t see a single Spoonbill. It turns out that they have already migrated north for the Summer. What I did see, almost immediately upon my arrival, was a beautiful Bald Eagle in a dead Pine tree across the pond. I took a few photos of it as the Sun was setting, before it flew away. I saw it fly back a little while later, but it landed in another tree, much more distant. That’s where it got more interesting. Another Eagle flew up and landed in Tree #1. I watched them both from a distance, until the Sun went down. They were too far away and it was getting too dark to get any decent shots.

I swung by for just a few minutes the next afternoon (still working), and saw both Eagles in the original tree! They were still pretty far away, so I tried a different lens combination to see if I could zoom in more closely. I am still kicking myself in the butt for that. Not one photo turned out decent. The one photo you do see here of them both is the only half-decent shot I got of the two of them. UGH!!!

Once we had finally finished our job, a few days later, I swung by one more time before going back home to Georgia. I had looked at Google Earth and other maps to see if there might be a way to get closer, especially to that main tree. Sure enough, there is a way, but it involves a lot of walking through sand and surf and a little bit of grasslands. But walk I did!!

I found Eagle #1, the male, in the main tree. I walked and walked and walked some more, then slowly approached him, hoping I wouldn’t spook him. He sat there like a champion, letting me trek a small semi-circle beneath him to get some different perspectives. He finally flew down the beach to another tree, then yet another. So, I walked and walked and walked some more. I did manage to get a few more decent photos of him in those other trees.

About a week later, I had to make a day trip for the same customer at another of their locations that is still relatively close to Amelia Island, so … I swung back by again, after work. This time I saw the male in a different, less accessible spot, perched on a dead tree. I won’t bore y’all with the details about how I got near him, but the adventure was reminiscent of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, who suffers for his soup!

After all that, I only got a couple of shots off before he flew away. He flew in the direction of his favorite tree (the dead Pine), which was a long way from where I was! But … if nothing else, I’m persistent! So again, I walked and walked and walked some more, until I got to the dead Pine, and lo and behold, there he was. This time, I was able to get really close, and ended up getting the best Eagle photos I have ever taken. I did the semi-circle thing again, and he just sat there like a champion again! He finally flew to a not-so-far-away Pine tree, so I followed him on down and got a few more shots. The Sun was starting to set, so I walked (and walked and walked some more) back to my truck for the long drive home. I assure you that I was grinning from ear to ear, thanking God the whole way home for putting me in such a place and allowing me to witness the majesty of one of His magnificent Creatures, and allowing me to be able to share my experience with all of you!!

While driving home, I recalled touring the Philadelphia Mint when I was in the fourth grade. History books were very thin back then, and The Earth was still cooling!! At the Mint was a stuffed Eagle named Peter. As I recalled, his name was Peter the Great, but my recollection wasn’t quite right. I searched across Al Gore’s Amazing Internet (he claims to have invented it), and learned that the Eagle at the Mint  was just Peter. But I liked the name Peter the Great, and this majestic Creature was certainly worthy of the moniker!! So, without further adieu (I know, I know – it has already been a lot of adieu!), I present to you all, Peter the Great, and a cameo appearance by the lovely Catherine, who is pretty Great, too!!

Please leave any comments below. I love hearing from everyone! You can also e-mail me at danny@dannyswildlife.com . Either way, I look forward to hearing from you!

I want to welcome all newcomers to this site! I hope you will enjoy these photos, share the posts with your family and friends across all social media, and take your children and grandchildren out to see God’s Splendor and Beauty yourselves!! You’ll be SO glad you did!

Thank you, and God bless you all!