The Cooper’s Island bald eagle nest upstream of Nickel Bridge. At this size the chicks are difficult to see. Credit: Chris Johnson

Local photographer Chris Johnson is as adept with the camera on his drone as he is with the one in his hand. Here are some shots taken from above the Cooper’s Island bald eagle nest (just upstream of the Nickel Bridge). In case you’re worried, Johnson emailed with Bryan Watts of the Center for Conservation Biology about flying a drone close(ish) to bald eagles. Watts said the key was to give them their space, as they can be easily spooked. Johnson did that and came away with these really cool shots.

This is the same picture, only zoomed in and cropped. Here you can make out two grey, fuzzy chicks — one at 9 o’clock, the other (harder to see) at 6 o’clock. Credit: Chris Johnson