Jordan Lake this morning at 224.16ft was still rising. The Haw River as it was exiting the dam was very quiet. Lake and reforming downstream river were very unlike the water systems to the west of us. As I watched this bald eagle appear out of the distortion caused by the dense fog on the river, I thought of the horrendous impact Hurricane Helene has made from Florida to our NC mountains. I am reminded that Nature is as elegant as the bald eagle and as fierce as a rampaging river.
It certainly is fun to watch a fledgling osprey catch its fish and then shake all the excess water off of its feathers. The fledglings are working hard and eating as much as they can because the migration journey to South America is not too far down the road. Some of the adult ospreys have already headed south.
Jordan Lake. The phrase “busy as a bee” certainly came to my mind as I watched this common eastern bumblebee literally stuff herself into the blossom of a whitestar morning glory. As you can see the bee was almost bigger than the blossom! Her enthusiasm is certainly on display. BTW the tiny whitestar is a native wildflower.
Up the Haw River yesterday flew a very determined immature bald eagle. I could see as it banked and reversed course at the tail race of the Jordan Lake Dam that the youngster was one of this year’s fledglings. Fly young one fly, learn how to fish successfully and survive.
I am in awe as the great egret comes to land on the face of the riprap at the Jordan Lake Dam. I can’t begin to imagine controlling all of those feathers. Some of the flight feathers going in very different directions than the others and yet, all working together to bring the egret safely to the edge of the Haw River. I am sometimes all thumbs with my 10 fingers. I can’t begin to even roughly sketch the multitude of nerves, muscles and tendons needed to put each feather exactly where it should be placed for a perfect landing.
In the moment that I push the shutter button I know probably 95% of what I have just seen and captured. Sometimes, to my great joy, I get home, put the day’s work up on my monitor and get surprised. The great egret dipped for a fish and made a crystalline water vase about its bill and face. Then it shattered the vase and shook all of the water aside so it could try for another fish.
doc ellen's journey 