raptors

Category

By eagle learning experience
There are 2 new eagle photo galleries at the Jordan Lake State Park Visitor Center,
280 State Park Road, Apex, NC 27523.
A great way to learn how to understand what you are seeing when out and about at the lake.
One of the photo series follows the bald eagle from the nest, to fledging and up to and beyond adulthood.
The second series shows a bald eagle catching a fish.
Stop by and sharpen your eye so that you too can enjoy seeing these majestic birds at Jordan Lake.
Godiva head shot

By Godiva

The sheer bulk of Godiva makes the strength showing in her wings all the more impressive.
Like all female bald eagles, Godiva is large, arrogant and owner of her share of the lake.

Godiva

By Hershey

Hershey flew past, following his mate Godiva by a few minutes.
I hadn’t seen them in a while.
They made me smile with the simple joy of watching their flight.
This is Hershey.

Hershey 2

By nobody won

This time it was an adult eagle that pursued the immature osprey.
The osprey made several swoops, dives and tight turns, but ended up dropping the fish.
It flashed past the eagle who chased it all the way to the lake’s surface.
The eagle never caught up to the fish.
Neither bird got to have a meal.
The catfish can be seen just below the bow of the eagle’s right wing.

eagle distant

By empty talons
From down the hill, through the trees, I heard an osprey scream and then it flashed past the branches.
There was an immature bald eagle in aggressive pursuit of the fledgling osprey.
Frantically I followed the action, trying to get down the boat ramp.
I watched the eagle smack into the osprey, I missed that shot…
but the eagle didn’t miss the fish the osprey had just dropped.
The osprey’s empty talons says it all as the triumphant eagle bows away with its prize.
Wish the photo was clearer, but, alas…
eagle and osprey

By ever have a day?

Ever have a day when everything just tilts the wrong way?
This immature osprey had been chased by an eagle that wanted its fish.
The osprey dropped the fish in mid air but the eagle couldn’t retrieve it.
The osprey fledgling went out and caught another fish.
Its sibling chased it, trying to snatch the catch and again the fish was lost in the air.
The despondent osprey fledgling flew in and landed in the tree almost directly above me.
As he looked down at me he seemed to be saying “did you ever have a day…”

immature osprey