This is what Benjamin Franklin wanted to begin with. Since it's against the law in my home state to approach close enough to an eagle nest site for satisfactory photographs, I decided to look for feeding eagles. That gave me lots of territory to cover - too much for a productive camera hunt. But since over wintering bald eagles need open water to catch fish, I figured that the best time to hunt for this species might be during the coldest of the Maine winter. Some of the best places to look for eagles during winter are downstream from dams that keep water open for limited stretches when it's really cold .
Dams also chew up some fish for easy pickings for the birds.
With less places to fish, the birds are concentrated. I sought and found such a place not far from Bangor, Maine and obtained permission from a landowner to set up a blind alongside the river. I had to be in the blind before dawn when the eagles came down river to perch in tall white pines across the way. During winter, wildlife needs to maintain energy reserves for survival. Those who pursue wildlife photography in the winter should respect the survival needs of their subjects.