Jordan Lake, Bald Eagle Nest report: H&G NestOne of the chicks at the nest tried hard to impress Dad Hershey. Dad dutifully watched the chick bounce, but quickly went back to doing other nest-keeping chores. The chick is not yet properly branching, when it steps up on the branch to the left of the nest. Soon though, it will be much higher above the nest in proper branching mode.

Jordan Lake: often when I am out monitoring bald eagles, I have time to watch other birds too. This pair of eastern bluebirds have selected a tree cavity for their nesting season. I am always delighted when I can find a cavity breeder such as the eastern bluebird using a natural tree hole for their nest placement. Don’t get me wrong … the bluebird population was saved in part by the efforts of many a birder who placed bluebird boxes about their property and gave these thrushes a place of safety for their families. Natural cavity or bluebird box: these small birds make use of what they can claim for their home!

Looking left to right: Mom Godiva getting a piece of fish ready to feed to her rapidly growing chicks, a chick right against the main trunk of the tree and then the second chick to the right of the main trunk.

The whole family! That is Dad Hershey perched way to the left, then in the nest it is Mom Godiva, a chick trying to push in and get a bite of food and then the other chick still to the right of the trunk. Great getting to see the whole family all at once. And, it is easy to see in this photo how light brown Dad is … that is how he got his name … after the chocolate bar.