I arrived at the Ridgefield NWR a little after 6 a.m. on July 1, 2016, and one of the first exciting birds I saw was this mature Bald Eagle making circles not far off the road. My brother had gotten to the location a few minutes before I did and said he observed this bird in an aerial dance with an immature bird–talons clenched. He said the birds appeared to remain clenched a little longer than they should have and this bird hit the ground and was possibly stunned by the incident. It took a little while flapping its wings as if to attempt take off several times before finally being successful in getting off the ground. I guess the look on the bird’s face in this image says it all.
Canon 5D Mark III, 1/1250, f4, ISO 640, 500mm, 6:31 a.m.