Close Enough

There were several photographers walking the various dikes today, me included. I chatted with a couple of them, one of whom said you can never get close enough to the birds!
Well today I got pretty darn close, as did the guy that followed me down the dike. The Bald Eagle sat on top of a walkway over the channel and just watched us come closer and closer. Murphy was getting himself a bath so he did not come along, which I think was good or I might never have gotten so close.
Walk 4 steps, take a photo, walk another 4 steps, take a photo, etc., I did that until he filled the frame and decided that was enough. Below are the initial shot I took when I started walking toward him, a final shot and then a view back as I left to see the other photographer slowly approaching him. I'm sure he got some great shots also (yeah, I would rather have been out on the other side of him on the ice for the light but you take what you get)!
Leaving the dike a GBH flew over the bulrushes and a Rough-legged Hawk gave me the evil eye before going hunting and catching a snack. A great day, even got some sunburn.