Golden

Golden Eagle above the Mississippi
Photograph by Tom Atwood

Some eagles get all the glory. Usually, the bald ones. The Golden Eagle is just as talented, powerful and beautiful, but lacks a good publicist. In Europe and Asia, however, the birds are regarded with almost mystic reverence, where they are known to hunt and kill deer and even wolves. Along the Mississippi River at Alton, though, most binoculars and telephoto lenses are trained on the more glamorous Bald Eagles that draw tourists to town in the winter. Meanwhile, Golden Eagles like this one soar over the river often unnoticed. Shutter: 1/400; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 100; Focal length: 200 mm.