In Which My Camera Takes a Field Trip

I carry my camera just about everywhere with me. Generally the batteries are dead or two pictures away from dead but still, it's in the purse. I'd love to have a fancy schmancy camera but I know my limitations. Those things break. My little Sony Cybershot? Does not. It is dented, chipped and scratched, has fallen out of my purse onto the pavement more times than I care to remember, been covered in snow, rain and now...has been away without me.
To an bald eagle banding. Our local eagle guru couldn't find her digital camera and so I offered mine. I should've made some 'I have to accompany this camera' stipulation but did not, every year more and more folks are tagging along with the fisheries and wildlife guys and the guru is distressed by this so I didn't push my luck.

Some guy climbs to the top of a very tall pine at a remote, lakeside location and takes the babe (or babes in yesterday's case) from the nest, while the mama circles and swoops and squaks at him. Nerves of steel it must take, those birds are BIG. He puts the little guy in a burlap bag and lowers him down for a checkup and banding.

I think the eaglets are between six and eight weeks old, but honestly I don't have a clue. They're not all that attractive and nation's symbol looking at this point but that beak scares the hell out of me.

And today? We're hookeying.