scapes: sky, land, water

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By Jordan Lake Rainbow 11-30-2018
I admit: I had gotten more than a little frustrated with the rain and more rain.
Then Mother Nature handed me a breath-taking gift.
On top of the dam this morning my friend sang out “look at that”.
Though a fine veil of rain, a rainbow appeared over the peninsula between the Haw River and the New Hope River.
Oh my.

By Jordan Lake Dam update, 5 photos 09/28/2018
I realized this evening that I have been concentrating on water, water, flooding water everywhere.
So, let’s catch up with some of the other events in the Jordan Lake Dam Neighborhood.
 
While trying to catch the fog lifting above the long leaf pine meadow, a flock of double-crested cormorants graced the rising sun.
 
 
A fledgling bald eagle, one of this year’s babies, seemed to challenge the sun and flew into the east.
 
 
Here is an adult bald eagle, very intent on something way across the main lake, near where the Haw River joins the Middle Creek.
 
 
If her stout beak had not protruded way past the clump of leaves where she perched, I would have missed the female belted kingfisher.
 
 
And then there are the small winged creatures, like this common buckeye butterfly, that try to sense if I am to be avoided or dismissed.

By Jordan Lake Dam update, 5 photos, 09-25-2018
As of this evening, the lake level is down to 232.15, hooray!
Still a long way to go to normal pool level of 216 feet.  All access to the lake except at the dam is still closed.
 
Sunrise in the lifting fog at the dam.
 
 
The foggy landscape cleared just enough for me to take this long shot of an adult eagle heading south over the lake.
 
 
Not long after the adult eagle flew past, a 2-year-old eagle caught my attention as it was heading northward up the lake.
 
 
Looking puzzled, the great blue heron lets us see how turbulent the Haw River has become as it escapes at the higher flow rate the Army Corps of Engineers gave it.
 
 
As I was packing up for the day, I was given a moment of laughter:  this crow zipped past, beak filled with 2 acorns.