bald eagle flight

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By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest: H&G Nest, 10 photos, 05-30-2019
H&G Nest
 
Mom Godiva had been lurking on a high perch when she jumped and streaked to just above water level.
Her direction was taking her straight down the shore line.
I heard a great blue heron give its grumpy annoyed don’t-you-dare-disturb-me yell.
Floating behind the heron was a dead fish.
I realized that the eagle’s flight path was straight for the heron.  Both birds wanted the fish.
I wondered if a collision was eminent.
But, no.  Godiva lifted up over the heron, glanced down at the fish and kept moving past.
I continued to track Godiva and when I looked back to the heron, it had flown almost out of sight, fish dangling from its beak.

By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Fledge: H&G nest, 9 photos 05-28-2019
H&G Nest
 
I found Godiva sitting to the far left.  One chick on the rim of the nest.  One chick to the far right on a branch.
Mom Godiva flew out and I tracked her only to realize that one of the chicks had flown too!!!
I don’t know if the chick had fledged yesterday or today, but I am happy for the new flier.
The fledgling flew, circled, got tired and even though about 500 feet from the nest, dropped his feet for landing.
All fledglings make controlled crashes for landings.  This fledgling almost forgot to put on the brakes!
He was still going full speed when he disappeared from sight behind the main trunk.

By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest report: Ranger Cove nest, 6 photos
Ranger Cove Nest
 
Ranger mom showed up with food.  I couldn’t decide just what the food was.
The two chicks got into a fight over who was going to eat and mom was stuck in-between them.
Extracting herself from the melee, Ranger Mom quickly went down east in the cove and glared at the world.
It didn’t take long for the chuck of food to be consumed and the chicks went to waiting for the next meal.

By Jordan Lake: Osprey, Bald Eagle and a Fish Crow, 10 photos 05-17-2019
Sometimes the Victory Goes to the Bird with the Most Attitude
 
A female osprey went cruising past me with a large fish and she disappeared around the next bend.
I heard the osprey scream and she came tearing back around toward me with a young bald eagle chasing her.
The young eagle had almost caught up with the osprey when a much smaller bird changed the chase.
Both the osprey and eagle had crossed the territory boundary of a fish crow.
The fish crow went for the eagle and managed to turn the bigger bird back toward the way it had come.
Last I saw of the eagle it was still yelling and trying to get the crow to leave it alone.