Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest report: First Nest
The chick is very, very interested in the food that dad Petruchio is studying and thinking about feeding to the chick
Much to the annoyance of the chick, Dad takes notice of something … other than the food the chick wants and is pointedly showing Dad where his attention should be.
Dad explains to the chick that watching for possible dangers comes first, yes, even before food.
The chick takes to pouting and Dad goes back to observing.
Jordan Lake: I was driving slowly near an embankment when I heard an osprey screaming. I threw the truck in park and jumped out trying to get my iPhone set to do a video. An adult bald eagle flashed through the trees. Because of the osprey scream, I thought the eagle was probably chasing the other raptor. But, no, the bald eagle was chasing double-crested cormorants. I don’t know if the eagle was after breakfast – they will take cormorants – or as eagles are prone to do, it was harassing the other birds. Not quite a full minute, but, oh boy, is the video full of action.
Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest report: LL&H nest. It has been quite a while since we have seen the LL&H nest. Wow! Look at the size of that chick!!! I think it is between 8-10 weeks old, but we don’t have a hatch date, so I am guessing. Almost all the eagles, herons, cormorants and ospreys were responding to the heat today by panting like this chick is doing.
Jordan Lake: I am always happy when I can share with you how a bird got its name. In this case, you can see the crests that give the double-crested cormorant its name. The feather crests are only visible during breeding season and the eyes turn a very brilliant blue. I must say I was tempted to comment about the cormorant having a bad hair day…
Jordan Lake: to quote Mike Lemery from his marvelous documentary Pursuit – Eagles of Conowingo Dam, “sometimes you wonder what goes through the mind of an eagle”. I wonder just what this bald eagle was seeing and thinking as she ignored me and Captain Doug as though we had been noted, accepted and then dismissed for we were not food nor enemy. We were but a fleeting moment in the mind of this eagle.
Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River: I was tracking the great blue heron, hoping it would cross in front of the trees with their fresh light green leaves and give me a nicely composed landscape photo. The heron obliged me and did just that. But, when I got home I found that another critter had managed to get photographed too! Have you found the squirrel yet?
doc ellen's journey 