herons

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By Doc is Angry and Heart-Sick
PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE FISHING LINE BEHIND, PLEASE.

     Doc is Heart-Sick and Angry about 3 young birds at Jordan Lake. All 3 are in trouble because someone couldn’t take the time to put broken line in the trash. A few steps to save a bird is all I am asking. Please remove trash of all kinds and help the birds and fish and people have a clean environment.

     Today we found 3 different birds in trouble at Jordan Lake – ALL three due to carelessly left behind fishing line.
     1) This young cormorant has line wrapped through it’s bill and then wrapped around its neck. You can see the swelling behind the line on the throat. This bird probably won’t make it because the line will restrict his ability to swallow a fish.
     2-4) This is an immature great blue heron – one of this year’s babies. There is a cluster of fishing hooks snagged in its neck. There is fishing line trailing from the hooks, down around its body and trailing behind it. This bird might make it if the wound in the neck doesn’t get infected.
     5) I don’t have a photo yet of the 3rd bird – it is one of this year’s fledgling ospreys. It has fishing line wrapped all around one foot and the foot is swollen. The osprey can still fly so we have no way to catch it. The Rangers are closely watching the youngster. If it becomes immobilized they will do their best to get to it to help.

By Jordan Lake Neighborhood: Great Blue Heron Fledgling video 06/10/2019
Fledgling
Many different species of birds are fledging at Jordan Lake right now.
I quietly watched this great blue heron this morning.
This new flier is about 8 weeks old and has probably been flying for only a few days.
 He was exploring the lake shoreline when he discovered that I was watching him.
Full of curiosity he ambled closer for a look.

 

By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest: H&G Nest, 10 photos, 05-30-2019
H&G Nest
 
Mom Godiva had been lurking on a high perch when she jumped and streaked to just above water level.
Her direction was taking her straight down the shore line.
I heard a great blue heron give its grumpy annoyed don’t-you-dare-disturb-me yell.
Floating behind the heron was a dead fish.
I realized that the eagle’s flight path was straight for the heron.  Both birds wanted the fish.
I wondered if a collision was eminent.
But, no.  Godiva lifted up over the heron, glanced down at the fish and kept moving past.
I continued to track Godiva and when I looked back to the heron, it had flown almost out of sight, fish dangling from its beak.

By Jordan Lake Dam: Great Blue Heron, immature
This is the immature heron that was in this morning’s Facebook video greeting.
He is probably a year old as he has developed head plumes and is beginning to change his head markings.
If you look carefully, you can see some fishing line wrapped around his left leg.
The fishing line bothers me a great deal, but thankfully it doesn’t appear to be bothering him.

By Jordan Lake Neighborhood, 2 photos, 02-18-2019
Jordan Lake Neighborhood
 
Great blue herons often argue and chase one another.
Each is certain that the other heron has the better fishing spot on the bank.
This fracas started on the shore of the Haw River, inside the riprap.
The dam was stunning fish as they passed through the gates and the pickings were easy.
Unless, of course, your neighbor heron was further upstream than you were and the fish passed them first.
Both herons missed the fish and a third heron a little further downstream had it for breakfast.