Fledge! The bald eagle chick on the left of nest brim thought hard. Launched. Set feet and wings for first landing! Disappeared as Captain Doug and I watched its very first flight! Check 1st photo again, go right of nest and see the other fledgling watching its sibling.

Oh, joy! Today was my first day back on the lake cruising with Captain Doug since my surgery. We quickly found a female bald eagle and a fledgling right close to her. I don’t know what nest they were from but it sure did my heart a whole lot of good to be in the living presence of such majesty again.

female bald eagle
fledgling bald eagle

The two bald eagle chicks at First Nest have fledged! 1st fledgling in far upper right and empty nest far lower left. 2nd Mom Kate far left looking up to fledgling far upper right. Capt. Doug has been doing double duty: checking his nests as well as mine to monitor while I am in recovery. My recovery is being greatly helped by shared thoughts and photos from all of you and by Capt. Doug’s continuing observances at First Nest for me. Thank you all!

You can hear the wind and see the rock ‘n’ roll of the boat as Captain Doug and I watched this fledgling bald eagle at Jordan Lake. Like all youngsters he was curious about everything that was going on around him.

There was enough coolness in the air while Captain Doug and I were cruising the lake that it stirred up the bald eagles. The youngster that is at the top of the first photo is a two year old and it is chasing one of this year’s fledgling. In the second photo that is the same two year old to the left and the same fledgling to the right. They were having a good time chasing each other.

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.