It has been a great spring for wildlife photographer Jen Normand of New Bothwell.
Armed with a newer and stronger camera, she has been able to get some great photos of eagles watching over their nest.
Normand says certain times of day are better than others for capturing fantastic images.
“In my opinion, I would say dusk and dawn, it’s the perfect lighting and it really makes the photos pop.”
When she’s not at her day job, this nature lover can be found parked on a gravel road with her camera, searching for the wonders of nature. Whenever she finds bald eagles and their nest, it’s always a wonder. She has spent nearly every evening watching an eagle's nest, from a distance.
Normand was lucky enough to be around when the first of three eaglets left the nest yesterday evening, hopping onto a nearby branch. They've been stretching and flapping their wings, getting stronger each day.
With her camera in hand, pointing out her window, Normand captures images that many people will never see firsthand. She cherishes each moment.
While Normand views each encounter with wildlife as something special, there are some that are unforgettable.
She came across some playful coyote pups this spring and spent three hours just watching them and taking pictures.
“They were very playful, it was just like they were regular dog puppies,” she says. “They were playing, they were fighting, they were sleeping, they were cuddling. It was adorable!”
She found them one day while driving around the countryside.
“I was in awe,” Normand says enthusiastically. “And I'm still excited over it. I've never seen that before. I had seen the mom in the field, and I didn't think anything of it, and I kept driving. All of a sudden, I saw a little head pop up and it caught my eye. I didn't know what it was right away, but I parked my vehicle. It came up again and I'm like, I'm going to sit here for a while. I waited an hour and a half before they came out, and all of a sudden, it was like the ground was spewing coyotes! There was 1, 2, 3... all the way to seven. There were seven pups!”