eagle families of Jordan Lake

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By JL Raptor report: Ranger Nest 7 photos 05-04-2018
Ranger Nest:
 
An unknown fledgling flew over the Ranger nest.  
Interestingly enough, neither parent bird saw this foreign youngster as a threat.
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Mom Ranger had been preening when something way down the cove caught her attention and she dashed off to investigate.
My human eyes could not see what had caused the eagle to take flight.
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Both Ranger chicks – note how shiny black the baby’s beak is – this is normal for this age.
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That is dad Osprey, from the neighborhood, flying above the eagle nest.
He certainly caught the attention of both bald eagle chicks!
The osprey is an annoyance but not a threat to the eagle chicks.
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Mom Ranger is staring down at a red-headed woodpecker that had landed about 20 feet below her.
I couldn’t get both birds in the photograph.
MARK0447 WO East 01-05-18 17-09-1-1-1-1-Edit
 
As the day got hotter, the chicks instinctively panted and dropped their wings to get better airflow around their bodies.
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This 4-year-old bald eagle is a threat and grave danger to the Ranger chicks.
Both Ranger parents came screaming in to protect their chicks.
The juvenile bald eagle ignored everybody and calmly flew across the cove and out of sight.
 MARK0271 WO East 01-05-18 16-04 1-1-1-Edit

 

By JL Neighborhood 8 photos 4-30-2018
My ramble in the Jordan Lake Neighborhood!
Ranger Mom and the Osprey
Had a disagreement: Uh oh.  The osprey started it.  Dove on the bald eagle several times.
Eagle yelled but didn’t go anywhere.  Having thumbed its beak at the bigger raptor the osprey flew back to its nest.
Eagle went back to glaring at the world.
Female hooded merganser – they always have a bad hair day.
Carolina chickadee – do you see the legs of his breakfast insect hanging out each side of his beak?
Solitary sandpiper. These are usually found in our coastal areas. There was a pair of them visiting the Ranger eagle nest cove.
Rusty blackbird. This is the first one I have seen at Jordan Lake. I usually find them on the Outer Banks.
Wood duck drake. Isn’t his eye a startling color! This is normal for an adult male.
A pair of snowy egrets were escorted across the cove by a red-winged blackbird.
An immature male summer tanager. A summer visitor. When he matures he will be feathered in solid orange plumage.

By JL Eagle Nest report: H&G nest 3 photos 4/26/2018
H&G Nest
One of the chicks is branching.  It is above the nest to the left, beside the vertical light brown trunk – you can see its body and tail.
Below it are the other two chicks.
YES, there are still 3 chicks in the nest!!!
 MARK7483 Ebenezer 26-04-18 08-57 H&G nest branching
Another view of the chicks.
 
MARK7532 Ebenezer 26-04-18 09-29 H&G nest branching
 
The adult is dad Hershey. 
 Peeking around the main tree trunk at dad is one of the chicks – you can see the chick’s beak just above the nest rim.
 MARK7419 Ebenezer 26-04-18 08-33 1 H&G nest branching

By JL Eagle nest report: Resolute has fledged! 4 photos 04/22/2018
First Nest
 
Resolute has FLEDGED!
I didn’t get to see the first flight which I think occurred on Friday.
I did get to catch this much of Resolute’s flight this morning.  She was about 500 feet from the nest.
The fledging occurred when Resolute was 12 weeks of age.
Hopefully I will be able to catch the newest flier at the lake out in the open soon and get a photo for all of you.