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By Jordan Lake: Environmental Danger 04-08-2019
Doc Ellen is angry, frustrated and afraid for a lot of our songbirds.
I stopped by one of the Jordan Lake boat ramps this morning to meet a friend and share his birthday.
Instead of celebrating, he and I examined a mockingbird nest.
Yes, that is fishing line woven into the nest.  The parent birds think the fishing line is a natural vine.
Through the years I have found nests of several species made entirely of fishing line.
Neither adult bird nor chick nor fledgling can break the fishing line if they get entangled.
600 years is what it takes for fishing line to degrade.
A moment is all it takes for a fisherman to gather his discarded line and properly dispose of it.
A moment versus 600 years shouldn’t be a hard decision to make.

By Jordan Lake Ospreys: Shelter Osprey Nest 04-06-2019
Shelter Osprey Nest
 
In most raptors, the female bird is larger than the male.
This is easy to see in the ospreys and bald eagles at Jordan Lake.
You can certainly see the size difference in the parents of the Shelter Nest.
 Osprey Mom, heading to the left, is much bigger than Osprey Dad who is looking to the right.
Sometimes this size difference makes the female ospreys and bald eagles 25 – 30% bigger than the males.
This trait is known as gender dimorphism.
_ARK8902 Ebenezer 06-04-19 10-57-08 2 osprey dimorphic

By Jordan Lake Ospreys: Shelter Nest, 4 photos, 04-05-2019
The Shelter Ospreys are Busy!
 
We humans often have to stop construction on our homes when it rains.
 
Osprey Dad isn’t letting a shower slow him down as he brings nest lining home.
 
 
On the other hand, um talon, maybe he is a little put out with the rain.
 
 
Oh, well, he has settled in, waiting for Osprey Mom to arrive.