Jordan Lake. Birds molt – lose old feathers and gain new ones. Bald eagles molt about every two years. Kate is definitely shedding feathers. 1) some of the old downy body feathers are floating below her 2) see the ragged trailing edge of her wing where flight feathers are being exchanged. I think she looks like it’s an annoying process.
The backward pointing toe of the bald eagle is the hallux. The hallux works in a fashion similar to the thumbs in humans and it allows the eagle to grab and carry its prey with its feet. In the female bald eagle the hallux can be as long as 2 inches while in the male it’s only 1.25 inches. You can certainly see the size of the hallux on this female!
Jordan Lake. Split second decision / capture launch / or turn / to see / what had fledgling’s attention / face dirty / yet regal / I took the shot
Jordan Lake. Captain’s Nest. Captain Doug and I were checking on fledgling bald eagles today. This pair of siblings decided that they were going to be true bald eagles and absolutely positively not share the fish that their parent had dropped in the nest. Don’t blink…
Jordan Lake. First Nest. I listened and watched as the smallest of the triplets yelled to the whole world – left and right – that he was very very hungry. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mom Kate approaching carrying a very large fish. As she banked towards the nest I glanced back up to where the fledgling had been and it was gone. I quickly looked back at the nest to see a dust up of feathers and beaks and a lot of squalling. Somebody got the fish, I’m just not sure who.
doc ellen's journey 