The upper bird is a 4 year old bald eagle, and he has a fish he just caught.
The lower bird is a two year old eagle and like all bald eagles, is trying to steal the fish for his own breakfast.
neighdoctor
Authorvisitor
I was waiting for the clean-up volunteers from the Jordan Lake Wildlife Cam group when I had a visitor.
Wouldn’t you know, I had put my camera down to rest my arm when this face appeared in the water.
I weighed just watching or risking spooking the animal if I picked up my camera.
The river otter was as curious about me as I was about him and he swam in and looked me over.
Thanksgiving eagle 2015
My Thank You to each of you who have so willingly shared with me the Glory of all Creation.
May your Thanksgiving Day be full of love, peace and contentment.
Juvenile bald eagle so close above me I thought if I put my camera down I could touch him…
missed…
Fish are slippery and hard to hold onto, even when you have sharp talons.
This 2 year old eagle certainly flipped this fish away and behind himself, alas.
On second thought, the fish was probably happy about the outcome of his flight.
locating bald eagles
LOCATING EAGLES: I was asked where to go and how to see eagles: here are my guide lines:
1. gather all the patience you possess
2. have at least 4 hours to spend at one time at one place in one session – I often spend 6-8 hours in the same place
3. have patience
4. plan to be in place 30 minutes before sunrise or 2 hours before sunset; middle of the day is not a good time for seeing any species of birds
5. wear dark clothing
6. have patience
7. go to the nearest boat ramp or fishing access area at any of the larger lakes and large rivers in NC
8. take a chair for the non-eagle quiet times – which is most of the time
9. have patience
10. remember that if you get closer than 300 feet in non-breeding season or 600 feet in breeding season the eagles will leave
11. if you try to get closer than a football field length the eagles will move away that same distance
12. find your place and wait for the eagles to come to you
13. have patience
14. when the eagle appears, enjoy
15. realize that I often spend many hours to get the one shot I have posted – some days I see absolutely no eagles
16. you might want to sharpen your eyes for sighting the various ages of the eagle: go to the Jordan Lake State Park Visitor Center on Hwy 64 west of Apex and test yourself using the eagle photos I have been graced to display there
17. enjoy being out in the wildness of creation and smile when your patience pays off and you get home with a photo of an eagle
18. and really, really light up when you realize you have practiced the most important word that I have stressed: patience
peace and grace, doc ellen
ps: this is Grayced and I practicing patience while waiting for the first birds of the day to the feeders in my yard
afar and near
This is the first photo of two.
It gives you the view I had when I caught the motion of the immature eagle through the upper trees and snapped the shot.
The second view is a close up of the 1 year old as he hurtled through the trees.
He has a fish, and out of sight is the 3 year old eagle chasing him, wanting to steal the yearling’s fish.
I don’t know the ending – the chase was at top speed and quickly out of my sight.
doc ellen's journey 