Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River:

Set!

Strike! Note: she has quickly flicked her nictitating membrane over her eye as protection.

Hold on!

Head for Home!

Mom osprey on a successful fishing pass within the riprap.

Sometimes, it takes a “not-seeing” moment for me to realize in the next blink, that I am “seeing” something. For instance, that is Kate standing in her nest. In the 1st photo, look between Kate’s left shoulder and the tree branch and note the empty space there. In the second photo, a small darkness has appeared in that same gap. In the 3rd photo the darkness has become one of her chicks! In the 4th photo, the chick has disappeared again. Neat sequence of Kate’s approximately 5-6 week old chick peeking past her shoulder.

Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River: I do believe this double-crested cormorant was smiling! This is not the usual flight orientation that I get to shoot. This youngster came up off the river, banked gently, glanced at me and turned right back to the river, and back to his fishing in the riprap.