My Annual Adventure at the Conowingo Dam
A Tradition Filled with Eagles, Early Mornings, and Wild Memories
For roughly the past decade, every fall has meant one thing for me: packing up my camera gear, gathering a small crew of photographer friends, and heading out on our annual trip to the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in Darlington, Maryland. It’s a pilgrimage of sorts — a few days dedicated entirely to wildlife, photography, nature, and laughter. I haven’t been able to make the trip the past few years, but I’m hopeful that next year, I’ll be back at my favorite eagle-watching hotspot.
Photo Fun: Take a closer look and post in the comments...
- How many bald eagles do you see?
- Who is that intruder amongst the bald eagles?
We typically plan for 4–5 days, and while the trip is always fun, I’m usually completely wiped out by the time I get home. These are long days — the kind that start in the dark and end in the dark — but they’re the kind of days that fill your soul.
🚗 The Road Trip Tradition
Our adventure always begins before sunrise, with a goal to be on the road by 5:00 AM so we can make it to Maryland by around 9:00 AM.
The early morning routine is a tradition in itself:
☕ Stop #1: Dunkin’ Donuts — because no wildlife photographer functions without coffee.
🚻 Stop #2: A rest area halfway there… or further if we’re feeling brave.
🌅 And sometimes, we’re gifted a gorgeous sunrise along the way.
The car ride is always full of chatter and laughter — the kind of road trip that sets the tone for an unforgettable week.
🌤️ Claiming Our Spots Before Sunrise
Every morning after the first day, we arrive at the dam by 6:00 AM — and trust me, that’s considered “late” in eagle-photographer world.
We bring:
Folding chairs / A small food-prep table / A mountain of snacks /All the camera equipment imaginable / A strong determination to sit together
Finding a spot for the big group can be tricky that first morning with our late arrival, but somehow, year after year, we make it work.
Set-up is a ritual:
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Tripod down first to “claim” the spot
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Chair unfolded
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Table positioned
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Gear organized
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Morning bathroom trip (preferably the heated indoor ones — I avoid the port-a-potties whenever possible!)
Then… we wait. And listen.
🌄 Quiet Mornings & That First Eagle Chirp
The morning silence at Conowingo is magical. You can hear the gentle flow of the water and the soft sounds of photographers adjusting their gear. I usually settle into my chair, sip my coffee, nibble on a snack, and enjoy the peace.
Then… the eagles start chirping.
Even when it’s still near dark, those calls send a wave of anticipation through the entire shoreline. As the sun rises, fog often hovers lightly over the water, creating the most dreamy backdrop. And if we’re lucky — which we often are — we get those spectacular orange-and-pink sunrises that every photographer hopes for.
If the light is beautiful, I’ll grab my wide-angle lens and capture the dam itself before switching gears for the eagle action.
I’m picky about light. Painfully picky.
But when the light is right? It’s game on.
🦅 The Action Begins: Eagles, Eagles Everywhere
Some days are nonstop excitement; others are slower. But when the eagles are active, it’s electrifying.
They circle overhead, scanning for stunned fish that have drifted through the dam.
Then in a split second —
Down they go.
Talons out.
Splash!
Fish secured… maybe.
This is where the real chaos begins.
Other eagles often swoop in to steal the fish mid-air. Sometimes the original eagle wins. Sometimes the fish is dropped. Sometimes the fish is caught again — I jokingly call those falling fish “flying fish,” and you’re almost guaranteed to see several a day when activity is strong.
Between the action, we sometimes watch other birds fish — cormorants, gulls, even great blue herons. And yes, eagles sometimes harass them for their catches too.
📸 The Unpredictable Side of Conowingo
Not everything happens by the waterline.
Some of my best shots have happened:
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On the way to the bathroom
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While grabbing lunch
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Walking back from the parking lot
Which is why my rule is: ALWAYS bring a camera. Always.
And then there are the wild surprises…
One year, we had a gorgeous rainbow of color in front of the dam. It was absolutely breathtaking and the perfect time to grab the landscape lens!
Another year? Construction disturbed the local rats — and one happily made himself at home inside a photographer’s jacket sleeve. The rest of us found it hilarious… the jacket’s owner? Not so much.
🐟 Why the Eagles Love Conowingo
The reason eagles gather here is simple:
🌊 The water stays open
🐟 Fish coming through the dam get stunned
🍽️ They float long enough to be caught
It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet… if the eagle can keep the fish long enough to enjoy it!
Honestly, more fish are dropped than eaten. But that’s what makes it such a thrilling place to photograph.
Sometimes the eagles are extra generous to the photographers and fly straight toward them, showing off their prize and sometimes even landing in lower trees for photographers to get pics of them with their meal.
And if you time the trip just right, you'll get the eagles with a perfect fall foliage backdrop.
🎒 Gear, Layers, and Lessons Learned
My gear list for Conowingo always includes:
📷 Two camera bodies
🔭 A 500mm prime lens with a 1.4x teleconverter
📘 A 100–500 hand-holdable lens
🌅 A wide-angle lens for sunrise
🎒 Tripod to hold my spot
🎒 Monopod for the actual photographing
🪑 A comfy chair
🍱 A small table
🔥 Hand warmers & foot warmers
🧤 LOTS of layers (thermals + ski pants + jackets)
💺 A bean bag cushion for warmth
💻 My MacBook + card reader
💾 Two external hard drives
🔋 Extra camera batteries
⚡ Battery chargers
🧃 Thermoses filled with hot water for tea & coffee
Yes… it’s a lot. But every item matters.
Each night after shooting, I upload all my photos — twice. I never rely on memory cards or a single drive. Losing images after a week like this would be devastating, so backup is non-negotiable.
💛 Why I Love This Trip So Much
Even with the long days… the cold… the early wake-ups… the heavy gear…
I LOVE this trip.
There’s nothing quite like watching bald eagles fish, steal, soar, and feast right in front of you — all while surrounded by other people who love wildlife just as much as I do.
The Conowingo trip is part photography, part tradition, part reunion, and part wild adventure.
I hope I’ll be able to return next year. Until then, I carry a decade of memories — thousands of photos, countless laughs, and so many stories.
And honestly?
After a trip like this, there’s nothing better than taking one day off work just to recover!
