Haw River

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By Jordan Lake Neighborhood, 3 photos, 1-24-2019
Jordan Lake is always full of surprises and contrasts.
It is home to both the largest and smallest raptors in the US.
Both of the birds below were very proud of their catches this afternoon.
 
American Bald Eagle
 
length: 34-43 inches   weight: 168 oz   wingspan 72-96 inches
 
_ark4457 jl dam 24-01-19 18-12-08 2 eagle fish frame
American Kestrel (also the smallest falcon in the US)
 
length: 9-12 inches    weight: 3.9 oz   wingspan 20-24 inches
 
_ark4124 ranger cove 24-01-19 14-03-31 1 kestrel lizard_ark4127 ranger cove 24-01-19 14-03-46 1 kestrel lizard

By Jordan Lake Dam, Golden Hour Bald Eagle
There were four of us friends, waiting as the sun eased down the sky, approaching the golden hour.
It was windy, cold and my long day had started out in the wee hours chasing the lunar eclipse.
We watched the sky looking for the long wings and great body of a bald eagle.
As the air became gilded with the setting sun, an eagle appeared.
She landed and we watched as she looked for a fish.
When she finally launched it was to head down river into the shadows.
We sighed and headed home in the remnants of the beautiful light.

By Jordan Lake Dam, Bald Eagle Flight 01-16-2019
The best way to maintain flight is for a wing to remain level. 
But level flight doesn’t offer up a fish from the river.
There are a multitude of calculations and feather changes during a fishing run.
This 4-year-old bald eagle is using some of his feathers on the outer edges of his wing tips as ailerons to control his roll.
Those “ruffled” feathers along the middle of his wings act as spoilers to give him precision for his hunt.
What a marvelous creation.