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By Fledglings Testing Each Other

Jordan Lake Dam: This morning was our quarterly bald eagle count at Jordan Lake. I and three others were counting from the top of the Jordan Lake Dam. We had actually finished the count – which runs from 7:00 to 8:30 AM but we were still watching the skies when this pair of fledgling bald eagles came tumbling out from around the corner. They were way out to mid lake. The two of them bounced in and out and around the corner several times. There was an almost cold wind and piled up gray clouds this morning. Bald Eagles really enjoy cold bouncy air and these two were certainly testing the wind and each other.

By Compare these Two Eaglets…

Jordan Lake. Both of these birds are 2-year-old bald eagles. They are both females. Did the chest/belly of the first eaglet seem to have a LOT of white feathers while the second youngster was mostly dark brown? Ah, the 1st bird is what we call a “white belly” and these are not seen as often as the darker colored birds. One other detail: note the color of the feet. The white belly eaglet has feet that are pale, almost beige (almost all white bellies have pale feet) while the second eaglet has the more usual yellow feet. Adults tend to have brilliant deep yellow/orange feet. Variety!!!

By Go Fund Me for Doc Ellen

I have thought long and hard about my past injuries and my current arguments with my crabby left arm. As stated in the Go Fund Me story, I need to make a change in my photography equipment. I want to be able to continue many more years of photographing and sharing all of the birds and wildlife at Jordan Lake. Thank you so much for all of your friendships, expressions of encouragement and kindnesses to me through the years.
Peace and Grace
Doc Ellen

https://gofund.me/6643c913

By Fledgling Tilt…

Jordan Lake: Bald Eagles are impressive … even when leaping away … and you get a different point of view. This fledgling glanced down, tilted and did a powerful launch from his perch.

By PSA: Are these two ducks from your flock?

This morning at Jordan Lake Captain Doug and I found this pair of domestic ducks (I think they are Pekin species) on Jordan Lake. The two ducks were not at all afraid of us. Captain Doug’s boat would not allow us to get in close enough to possibly try to pick these ducks up. It is very dangerous for the ducks to be out there at the lake because coyotes and possibly a female bald eagle might consider them for food. They were approximately mile and a half or so down the Haw River south of where Highway 64 crosses over it. If these are your two ducks please contact me and I’ll do my best to explain to you where they are located. They’re beautiful ducks and they need to get back home!

Directions to help locate the ducks:

Very roughly 35.7 N, 79.074 W 

ON LAND:  on the entrance road (gravel) to the Wilderness Island access area (leaves the south end of Seaforth Road), there’s a big clearcut.  There’s a dirt road that runs all along the western edge of that clearcut, from the access road all the way down to the lake shore, at the back of the cove.  That spot on the shoreline is about 80 yards east of where we saw the ducks