Sitting RegallyA bald eagle sits regally on a bare branch in Washington, D.C.

I recently came across a bald eagle here in Washington, D.C. I was very excited to see it and have my camera with me! I absolutely love raptors, especially bald eagles, and I'm thrilled to have these photos!

Ruffled FeathersA bald eagle with ruffled feathers sits on a bare branch in Washington, D.C.

Sitting AlertA bald eagle sits on a bare branch in Washington, D.C.

This bald eagle wasn't the only bird I saw recently. I also came across this blue jay. We don't have a lot of blue jays here in Washington and I'm very fond of of these birds too. I feel very fortunate to get this photo.

Blue JayA northern blue jay at rest.

On the other hand, we do have lots of ducks here in Washington. Here are two mallards. I love the coloring of male mallards.

Two MallardsA male mallard duck and a female mallard duck swim in the Potomac River.

We also have lots of birds of the metallic kind, such as this jetBlue passenger airplane taking off from National Airport.

Metallic Blue BirdA Jet Blue passenger jet airplane takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

I had no idea that January could be such a great time to shoot birds.

Capitol Christmas ReflectionsEarly morning at the Capitol. The Capitol dome and the 2020 Capitol Christmas Tree are reflected in the Capitol Reflecting Pool. Also visible is the inauguration stage that is under construction.

Every year, I try to shoot the Capitol Christmas Tree. Usually I shoot it just after sunset, when the tree lights are on, but it's not so dark that the sky turns black. This year, I decided to try shooting just before sunrise. However, I wasn't sure whether it would work at that time of day and the overcast sky did not look promising.

When I arrived, the reflecting pool was perfectly placid, creating an amazing mirror image of the Capitol and tree. Then, after taking only two pictures, the wind picked up and destroyed the reflection. I might have packed up to go home then. The cloud cover was discouraging. An overcast sky should have ensured a drab sunrise. Instead, I stuck around and only five minutes later, the sun found a small break in the clouds, right along the horizon, and turned the sky a brilliant fuchsia color.

Fuchsia skies and Capitol Christmas TreeBrilliant fuchsia skies over the Capitol just before sunrise, featuring the 2020 Capitol Christmas Tree and the inauguration stage under construction.

It was a brilliant sunrise! I'm glad I experimented with the sunrise and stuck it through after the wind picked up. Incidentally, if you look past the Christmas tree, you can see the inauguration stage under construction in the background.

Autumn twilight at the Tidal BasinAutumn twilight at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., featuring the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Sometimes when you hear or read about ugly things in the news, it's nice to go outside and watch a sunrise. It can be a powerful reminder that the world is a beautiful place.

Here are a few photos from a recent, peaceful morning at the Tidal Basin. The world is a beautiful place.

Autumn cherry trees at the Tidal BasinTwilight at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., featuring the cherry trees with fall foliage and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Autumn sunrise at the Tidal BasinThe sun rises at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., while the cherry trees show off their fall foliage.

Autumn morning at the Tidal BasinA peaceful autumn morning at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.