Jordan Lake. Mom Godiva likes to occasionally have a meal of bird. You can see the water splash trail as the cormorant that Godiva was chasing tried to first run and take flight, but then decided the safest route was to just dive under. Mom Godiva was not happy that she missed. I am sure the cormorant thinks otherwise.
Jordan Lake. They still have not laid eggs. In the video that is Loblolly drying off. Pitch was way down at the other end of their territory, watching the world go by. Please note: I have been asked if while pursuing my advocacy for the bald eagles at Jordan Lake, especially Loblolly and Pitch, “if I was upset with rangers and everybody and anybody who is working at Jordan Lake Park”. My answer is a loud no, not everybody. It is Superintendent Mole and his supervisors that have decided to keep the gate to Shelter 8 open. I have utmost respect and appreciation for the rangers, maintenance and administrative staff at Jordan Lake State Park. These women and men work hard to protect visitors and provide them with opportunities to enjoy being within the natural beauty of the park. These workers are under the supervision of Superintendent Mole and so have to follow his directions. I don’t know where the rangers, maintenance and administrative staff at the park stand on the issue at shelter 8 – I simply know that all my interactions with them have been great. My continuing advocacy and request is for Superintendent Mole to direct the closing of the gate at shelter 8 and protect Loblolly and Pitch and their nest.
Shelter 8 update: The bald eagles, Loblolly and Pitch and the problems at their nest, are on ABC channel 11. I hope you will have a chance to watch the video. Here is the link: https://abc11.com/eagle-sighting-jordan-lake-state-park-bald-protection-bird/12671567/
Jordan Lake. Update on Loblolly and Pitch, Big Pine Nest. The gate at shelter 8 is still unlocked as of 1:00pm, January 3, 2023. That is Mom Loblolly in the photo. She was coming up the shoreline and banked to head into the nest when she saw that there was a car in the parking lot and she banked back out again and left the area.
Loblolly and Pitch, of Big Pine Nest, the bald eagle parents at Shelter 8 have returned. The gate to Picnic Area A, shelter 8 is open and needs to be closed to people. Loblolly and Pitch lost their chick(s) this last March because the gate to shelter 8 was left open. Bald eagles, when there is too much interference at their nest, will literally abandon the eggs or chicks in the nest and this is what happened because the gate was left open. Many of us asked the Superintendent of the park to please close the gate to shelter 8 and that the gate to its sister shelter 2 be opened in its place. The shelter 8 gate was never closed and people intruded on the nest. The pressure of people too close to their nest (along with the usual natural interference of other bald eagles) was more than the defense mounted by the two parent eagles could handle. Loblolly and Pitch did their very best – flying in circles, screaming and hoping to scare the people away. The parent bald eagles lost the confrontation. Today the gate to shelter 8 is open and people are once again intruding. Please, contact the Superintendent at shederick.mole@ncparks.gov phone: 919-362-0586 ext. 231 and let him know how you feel about this situation. Please let everyone know to stay out of Picnic Area A and away from shelter 8. Let’s give Loblolly and Pitch the best chance to raise chicks this season. Thank you all for your support of the bald eagles of Jordan Lake!
photo: Loblolly trying to scare human intruders away from her nest.
Jordan Lake. I was sitting quietly listening for loons. From the trees across the lake from me came this 2-year-old bald eagle. My congratulations to her! She had beaten the roughly 50% odds that all eagles face in their first year of life… She lived to fish at two years of age. Oh, the intensity on her face!
doc ellen's journey 