American bald eagle

Tag

By Jaunty Tail Feather

Jordan Lake. This 4-year-old bald eagle certainly has a startling tail feather! In the first photo, the topmost tail feather is a solid deepest brown down the outermost edge. I don’t usually see eagle tail feathers colored exactly like that. It does make her look rakish and sporty. I wish that she would keep that tail feather coloration throughout her life. However she is a four-year-old and in the midst of her molt. So I imagine in another 6 to 12 months she will have the solid white head and tail of a fully adult bald eagle.

By Hot!

Jordan Lake. Hot? Yes, indeed hot! About 20 minutes after sunrise the sun had already burned most of the blue right out of the sky. Then, this two year old bald eagle showed up, panting. She perched and looked at me and then out towards mid-lake. The youngster stayed about 4 minutes and then flew around the bend and deeper into a heavily shadowed cove. I decided maybe she was smarter than me about the heat and so I soon gathered up my equipment and headed home.

By Eagle 0, Fish 1

Jordan Lake: I was watching Mom Godiva on a speed run up the main lake, heading north. I did not expect her to go fishing. Suddenly she did an almost 270° turn and had her feet in the water before I could catch up with her. As you can see maybe Godiva was a little too hasty in her fishing? That’s a big fish. She didn’t quite get a grip on it and flipped it out behind herself. The fish didn’t mind Godiva’s disappointment. Eagle zero, fish 1.

By Toe Puzzle

Jordan Lake: Captain Doug and I had thought that the bald eagle was standing a little awkwardly because maybe she was standing on a fish. But, no, a fish wasn’t involved in the stance at all … nope, there was an embarrassing toe problem…

By Noticed…

Jordan Lake, Monday, August 2, 2021. Lake level was at 216.09 ft. I was talking with one of the Rangers this morning, when this three-year-old bald eagle showed up. She glanced over at us. Didn’t see anything about us that seemed to worry her and so she turned her head away and kept right on flying. She is carrying what appears to be a very small catfish for her breakfast.