ZOOMING IN ON EAGLES

‘Armed with a Nikon 5600 camera, plus two lenses — a wide-angle and a zoom — I was down at the eagle’s nest for hours at a time. Waiting for the eggs to hatch, watching the parents bring in food.’

JULANNE BURTS

My Name is Julianne Burts and I enjoy photographing our local eagles and documenting their progress.

I suppose that sounds a little like an introduction to a 12-step program but I assure you this is a harmless hobby.

I was born in Wenatchee and graduated from Eastmont High School in 1977, became a dental assistant, got married. College took us to Pullman and careers took us to King County in the early ’80s. We returned in 2002, when my husband was able to transfer back to this area. We have been back for 18 years and are grateful to be home in this beautiful area.

When we moved back home, our house attracted a lot of birds and my mother, who lived with us at the time, fed them. I think she may have spent as much on birdseed as she did on dog food, and she had four dogs. We soon had hundreds of sparrows and finches turning birdseed into fertilizer.

Maybe it was the exposure, maybe it was genetic, but I was also interested in birds. Watching them play and flit about provided lots of entertainment for mom and me.

We also attracted hummingbirds and for the last 15 years, we have maintained a year-round feeder. We can see and hear them from our living room. These amazing birds filled up several pages in my photo album.

One winter morning, a sharp skin hawk settled on our fence and waited for dinner to fly by. It was magnificent, with beautiful plumage, yellow eyes, and sharp talons. It was also very confident and tolerated my photography with an attitude of royal indifference.