Selection matters. Selection matters more when you’re making a choice for life.

In the case of almost all bald eagles, “till death do us part” holds true. Only in the event of the passing of a partner or a rare divorce will they seek out another mate. 

As with any relationship, courtship between these animals can take wild twists and turns. This rollercoaster, however, unfolds in a very literal sense. The birds of prey partake in what’s known as a cartwheel flight, where the eagles fly up into the air, entangle their talons, and dive towards the earth together. They release their grip at the very last moment—a trust fall where the stakes could not be much higher.

While many bald eagles live independently, breeding season brings the two mates together again. Nest making is a joint effort that can span years. Males will go out in search of large sticks and branches and return them for the female to begin building. As the nest gets closer to completion, both partners assemble the finer pieces together—a form of bonding as they prepare to bring their eaglet into the world.

There’s an element of storytelling with any image, but I find it becomes even stronger when you’re photographing wildlife. Your brain is hungry to draw parallels between what you know and what you observe in a species that’s so distinct.

Here, the pair provided me with the story. The wing position, the raindrops falling, the eagle just taking off from the rock, the expressions on both faces—it was all perfect.

Only one title seemed fitting.