raptors

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By Hershey and the Red-tailed Hawk

Jordan Lake, H&G Nest Report: The bald eagle Dad Hershey at H&G nest, several vultures and a red-tailed hawk were all circling in the same kettle of rising air. For whatever reason the red tail hawk decided to fuss at Dad Hershey. They had a face off, way up in the air! They glared, made threats and then broke away from each other. Dad Hershey then dashed down to the lake and grabbed a fish that a ring-billed gull had dropped. The bald eagle took the fish back to a big branch and was happily eating on the fish when, for whatever reason, the red-tailed hawk showed up and complained and made Dad Hershey duck and scrunch down. Apparently having had it’s say, the red-tailed hawk then sailed off into the tree line. I don’t know what started all the ruckus. Neither bird has eggs or chicks in a nest. So, maybe it was just that the red-tailed hawk had a desire to be crabby. Or maybe I should say hawkish?

By H&G Bald Eagle Nest update 10/31/2021

Jordan Lake: One of the reasons for keeping field notes is to make sure that the researcher’s memory doesn’t confuse facts… I had thought that Godiva and Hershey were early this year in their nest repair. Hmmm. My notes say they started repair work in mid-October 2019 too!

Mom Godiva piles into the nest with a big branch and Hershey, who had been sitting on the brim of the nest piles out.
Hershey is moving out of the way in a hurry.
You can see the new stick … it is a horizontal branch still in Godiva’s feet.
Only 29 minutes later Godiva was returning with another huge branch for the repair work.

By Osprey Ballerina

Jordan Lake: this female Fledgling Osprey jumped from her perch high in a tree on one side of the cove. She was dashing straight across to the other side. Then abruptly the youngster threw on her air brakes, wrapped her wings around herself and looked over her shoulder, hard, down to the lake below. There the dancer hung for a long heartbeat. Then the osprey shrugged as if well nothing there after all and she turned her head back forward. Unwrapped her feathered wings cape and finished her flight to the other side. A true sky ballerina.

By Osprey Moon

Jordan Lake: Osprey Moon. The moon was setting. This fledgling female osprey had been trying hard to catch a fish. I managed to catch her as she made a transit of the moon.

By Early Start

Jordan Lake: H&G Nest. Hershey and Godiva have been very chatty of late. They have also started to repair their nest … and they are a month earlier than usual. I am not at all sure what the early start means! In the 1st photo that is Hershey up top and Godiva down below. The bald eagle in flight is Hershey.