Nothing makes a fall sky more Carolina blue than the flight of an eagle.
In this case it is a two year-old, going on 3 in January, bald eagle.
Note the symmetric waves of primary feathers beginning their molt journey – this is a two-year old sequence.
The eastern phoebe had been grooming when he noticed I was watching.
He fluffed his feathers even more and then seemed pleased I had seen the motion.
This is the osprey with the damaged wing.
He has lingered here at the lake and is very actively fishing.
However, what has the osprey’s attention is not a fish.
No, it is an adult eagle that is flying across the meadow.
And the osprey knows that the eagle will try to steal any fish the smaller bird might catch.
So the fishing is on hold until the eagle has passed.
Just whose fish is it? Both great blue herons have dibs and bills on it…
There ensued a royal tug-of-war between the two birds.
The heron in the water is the one who caught the fish.
And ultimately held onto it.
Wild day on the lake even though it was cloudy and dripping rain.
Autumn osprey: flashing accent of feathers and fish against the fall foliage.
The migrant osprey was out fishing again this morning.
There is an injury at the tip of his right wing, but he doesn’t seem to notice it.
He is very efficient at his fishing and often pulls large fish out of the river.
He proudly showed me his catch as he left out over the dam.
This adult male osprey has been fishing at Jordan Lake the last 3 days. I think he is a migrant.
Our adult ospreys left about 4 weeks ago and only a few of our osprey fledglings and immatures are still here.
I don’t recognize the markings on this osprey.
I have watched him madly fishing the last 3 days – like a parent osprey with chicks would be fishing.
He is late for South America and is eating for the sustenance to finish the trip.
Note the silvery fish about 2 feet in front of his right foot.
And, the orange patches are the leaves flying past as I followed his track through the autumn trees.
doc ellen's journey 