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Amateur Photographer Matures With His Beloved Eagles

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Hays eagles have attracted thousands of admirers around the globe, including one local man who has spent the past few years capturing photos of the area's favorite birds.

Over the past three years, the eagles have become a fixture on a hillside in Hays, and so has amateur photographer Dana Nesiti, who has spent untold hours below chronicling their every move in hundreds of remarkable photographs.

Capturing their fishing on the Mon, the building of their nest, the birth of their young, and their day-to-day life in every passing season.

"I don't want to say I'm addicted or anything, but I want to be down here as much as I can," Nesiti said. "Anytime I have free time, I usually end up here."

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Nesiti, a video engineer for Comcast, has gone from a point-and-shoot photographer to an accomplished one, honing his craft at least three or four days a week, but not yet down to his satisfaction.

Nesiti: "Lots of people tell me my photographs are great, but they're OK. They're OK."
Sheehan: "They're better than OK."
Nesiti: "They're OK."

For nature photographers, the wait between shots can be long and fruitless, but for Nesiti, nothing beats the thrill of capturing the birds in action.

"You can just tell when you get the good shot," he said. "Wow, that's what I was waiting for. Because it's a lot of patience."

His pursuit has required constant upgrades in his equipment along the way, but while the lens and garb are camouflaged, he believes the birds have come to know him on sight.

Nesiti: "They probably look down and say, 'There he is again.'"
Sheehan: "They give you a look."
Nesiti: "I definitely get some good looks when I'm looking up. There's definitely eye contact."

It may not qualify as an addiction or an obsession, but the call of the eagles has become an irresistible draw for Nesiti, who is ever in search of one more great photograph.

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