Photography has always been an interest and hobby for Allen, but he became particularly active in his photography of bald eagles during the COVID-19 pandemic, using photography as a means to get outside during a time when many normal activities were largely put on hold.

“Photography makes me stop and look at things,” Allen said, referring to one of the reasons he enjoys his hobby.

Allen, who resides in Montoursville, has several locations throughout the state where he targets the eagles for photographs, with some of his favorite spots being along the West Branch of the Susquehanna and along Little Pine Creek in the Clinton and Lycoming areas, as the eagles will often nest and perch near water, for a vital source of food in the form of fresh fish.

Allen will also go as far as New York and Maryland to capture the creatures on camera, citing the Conowingo Dam along the Susquehanna River in Maryland as another of his favorite spots.

BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Richard Allen, left, discusses camera settings with Rob Colley at Hoyer’s Photo.

Allen estimates that over the past several years, he’s taken as many as 40,000 pictures of the eagles, and even self-published a photo book in 2022, “A Tale of Two Eagles and the Wonder of Nature.”

Allen does not sell the book but rather hands them out to family and friends as gifts, dedicating the book to his photography mentor, John Green, another local photographer concentrating on bald eagles.

Allen ISN’T Alone

Rob Colley is the owner of Hoyer’s Photo, a camera shop and photo processing center in Williamsport. Colley says he has several “really serious” customers that focus on bald eagles, with Allen being amongst them.

“They’re so into it (the eagles), that they’ll put aside other things in life just to get that perfect photo,” Colley said, referring to some of his customers.

PHOTO PROVIDED A bald eagle is pictured mid-flight in this photo courtesy of Richard Allen.

‘Amazing Habitat’

Dr. Mercy Melo is the Wildlife Management Supervisor for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Northcentral Region, with her background focusing heavily on birds of prey.

“Clinton County has some amazing habitat for bald eagles due to its abundance of waterways,” Melo said, adding that the West Branch of the Susquehanna River is an excellent area to see bald eagles.

Melo stated that areas around some other area streams, such as Pine Creek, Kettle Creek and Bald Eagle Creek, are also good places to spot eagles as they favor the sycamore trees which line the banks of those waters.

According to Melo, bald eagles are year-round residents of Pennsylvania, with nesting taking place during the warmer months.

At that time, Melo says the eagles will become more active as they hunt for food to feed their chicks.

While the exact number of bald eagles that call Pennsylvania home is not known, Melo said that number of nests increased from just three in the 1980s up to 270 in a 2013 study.

Bald Eagle State Park

Though not named for the national bird, but rather Native American Chief Woapalanne (also referred to as “Chief Bald Eagle”), Bald Eagle State Park (BESP) in Centre County is another area eagle enthusiasts can try to spot them.

Michelle White is a naturalist and educator for the park. White indicated that as recently as 2024, there were three bald eagle nests (with a nesting pair of eagles) within the park property alone, and that at least one nest is currently located on the park’s periphery.

White stated that it is not uncommon for park visitors to come to the park seeking a chance to look for eagles as well as other wildlife, adding that the park offers a number of educational events throughout the season.

Dr. Melo suggested that those seeking more details and facts on bald eagles can visit the Game Commission’s website, pa.gov/agencies/pgc.

There they can find more information on bald eagles as well as a link to live bald eagle cameras throughout the state.