I can watch bald eagles all day. Even the sight of one sitting up in a tree is enough for me to pull the car over.

When the Mississippi River freezes in the winter, the eagles congregate at the lock and dam systems to fish the open water. If conditions are right, there can be dozens or hundreds of eagles in one spot.

In the last couple weeks, I visited Lock and Dams 15 (Davenport, Iowa) and 14 (Pleasant Valley, Iowa) where there is unobstructed access to the river’s edge. I packed up the car with a 600mm lens, multiple layers of clothes, plenty of snacks and coffee. On my first visit, the weather was gray and temps were in the teens - lots of eagles, no sunlight. My second visit happened a couple days after the deep freeze began to lift - fewer eagles, but abundant late-afternoon sunshine.

Just as I was about to pack up and head home, the moon began to rise over the dam. I waited another 40 minutes to get one last shot.

Here are my favorites. You can also find prints of my favorite birds in this gallery.