Nature photographer Doug Gemmell had an unforgettable day recently when he set out with his camera, hoping to capture some striking wildlife moments. As he was watching through his lens, a juvenile bald eagle, yet to develop the iconic white feathers on its head, swooped down with its talons poised.
Gemmell, like many who photograph bald eagles, expected the bird to snatch up a fish, their usual prey. Instead, the eagle descended towards a parking lot, zeroing in on an entirely different kind of meal.
An Unusual Catch
From his vantage point, partially obstructed by a snowbank, Gemmell couldn’t immediately see what the eagle had captured. Nevertheless, he kept snapping photos, determined to document the action. It wasn’t until he returned home and reviewed the images that the unusual nature of the eagle’s catch became clear.
“I didn’t realize what the eagle had picked up until I got home and cropped in on the photos,” Gemmell said. “To my surprise, I saw it was a half-eaten slice of pepperoni pizza.”
A Surprising Find
Seeing the pizza slice in the eagle’s talons was both amusing and fascinating for Gemmell. “I thought, ‘Wow. That is very cool,’ when I saw the pizza in her talons,” he recalled. “That’s not something you see every day, that’s for sure.”
While it’s unknown whether the eagle actually consumed the pizza or decided against it, the moment was a rare and unexpected highlight in Gemmell’s photography career.
The Thrill of Nature Photography
Gemmell reflected on the unpredictable nature of wildlife photography. “With nature photography, things happen so fast that you don’t always know exactly what you just took a photo of,” he said. “Then when you get the chance to look at the photos, sometimes you are pleasantly surprised that you captured something you had no idea was even there at the time.”
This unique encounter with a pizza-loving bald eagle serves as a delightful reminder of the surprises that nature can offer, even in the most unexpected places.
