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The ospreys are fledging at Jordan Lake – taking their first flights.

Male osprey fledgling. Note his orange eye. Adults have a golden eye.


This is a female osprey fledgling. Her dark feathered “brooch” marks her gender.


A little easier to see her dark neck patch.


By far the easiest way to tell that these ospreys are fledglings are by the white “rivets” on their feathers.


The “rivets” are white dots at the ends of their feathers and will wear off as they age.

By JL Neighborhood 6 photos July 31, 2017

Big birds, little birds, plain brown or black birds and one of startling color!

4-year-old bald eagle with a small fish for a pre-brunch appetizer!


The tiny brown-headed nuthatch has snagged one of her favorite sources of protein:

a spider from the web below her.


This brilliantly yellow bird is a prothonotary warbler.

They come for the summer nesting season.


A northern rough-winged swallow:

a tiny speed demon that loves to consume flying insects such as mosquitos.


There is WAY more branch here than osprey!

I would have loved to have been able to see him get it into his nest.


Closeup of a beautiful black vulture.

I really appreciate their contributions to the cleanup around the lake.

By Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge trip 8 photos 7-27-2017
A trip to Lake Mattamuskeet needs to be on everybody’s  list.
 
It was at Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge that the Bald Eagle was re-introduced to NC.
 
The Bald Eagles then made their way inland to Jordan Lake.
 
Try your hardest to get there at sunrise – they are almost always spectacular from the causeway!
 
Adult bald eagle way across the front impoundment at Mattamuskeet.  
This time of the year the eagles can be hard to find at Mattamuskeet.
 
The lake and its surrounding area has beautiful cypress trees.
 
 
The still waters of the lake and the impoundments often give reflections that are wonderfully detailed.
Great Blue Heron fishing.
 
 
The insect life at Mattamuskeet is very diverse – with many different dragonflies.
Did you see the dragonfly shadow?
 
 
The white-tailed deer really enjoy the browsing at the lake.  
 
 
The yellow-billed cuckoo is also found at Jordan Lake.
 I hear rather than see them most of the time.
 
 
The zebra swallowtail butterfly is the only swallowtail in our region with white stripes.
 

By J Neighborhood: 2 Birds, 2 Butterflies and Bumblebees
Elegant, graceful, simply beautiful, Great Egret
 
 
Eastern Kingbird fledgling – yelling for a parent to feed him.  
 
 
the Common Buckeye butterfly
 
 
A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly sharing a button bush blossom with some Eastern Bumblebees.
All these insects, along with the Common Buckeye are important pollinators.