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A bald eagle resting on a snowy branch near Haines, Alaska. 

Thousands of bald eagles are drawn to the Chilkat Eagle Preserve in late fall and early winter to feast on the spawning salmon runs in the naturally heated Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska.  When the weather is warm the Chilkat River does not freeze, salmon are more plentiful and feeding is much easier, as it was on this particular year.  When feeding is easier the bald eagles spend more time resting, and a resting bald eagle can stay almost motionless for a very, very long time, on branches along the river’s bank. I made this potent image of a bald eagle resting on a snow covered branch, seemingly admiring its talons, after waiting for the eagle to do something interesting for, what seemed like, close to an hour.