bald eagle

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By JL Neighborhood and Eagle nest report post all the rain! 6 photos
First Nest’s neighborhood in the aftermath of all the rain
 
That is mom Kate on the lower branch and dad Petruchio on the upper one of a tall pine at the edge of their cove.
As the surrounding areas have drained, Jordan Lake is doing what it was created to do: control flooding.
In September 1945 the Homestead hurricane came up the coast from Florida and flooded eastern North Carolina.
Cities on the Cape Fear River were severely impacted by flooding. The state of NC set out to control any future flooding. 
The Haw River and the New Hope River were dammed by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Lake filled by 1983.
During rain events, as the lake fills with waters from further inland and the rains above, the lake spreads out and floods it’s shoreline.
Better the shoreline gets flooded and not the downstream cities and towns.
Once enough drainage has occurred east and south of us, the Army Corps will open the gates of the dam and begin letting the extra water out.

Coffee is grumpy! Nothing about the lake looks right to her at all, but both she and HC are within sight of their parents.

The red arrow is pointing at where I was standing, against the trunk of the tree, yesterday afternoon about 3:30 PM.  
As you can see the lake has traveled well in land (probably 30+ feet) – I took this photo today at about 9:30 AM.
BTW the mirror reflection makes my eyes cross when I look at it!
This tiny least sandpiper has walked down about 4 feet on one of the concrete ramps where he reached water.
Normally he would have had about 4 times that much walkway.
Notice all the debris that is already washing up against the ramp.
This pair of critters seem very happy for the extra living room…
How can there be a day at the lake without a squirrel stretched out at a full run past the top of one of the flooding ramps?!

By JL Eagle nest report; H&G nest 2 photos, 1 video link 4-22-2107
H&G nest
The bald eagle chick Raisin was branching when dad Hershey arrived with a fish.
Chick Granola had been to the right of the main tree trunk but quickly came for his share of food.
In my experience the father eagles are more prone to feed both chicks at the same time.
The moms tend to feed the largest chick first until it is full and then feeds the smallest chick.
There is a short clip at https://youtu.be/iKL5OhnTpKQ

By JL Eagle Nest report, H&G nest Great News! April 18, 2017
I want to share with all of you the wonderful results of a conversation I had today with Mr. Gordon Myers, Director of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. He has been thinking about not only our concerns about the bald eagles of Jordan Lake and prescribed burns, but other’s concerns about the lake’s large ecosystem. Mr. Myers felt the time had come when a study group composed of the concerned entities and citizens who love, enjoy and cherish Jordan Lake and its gamelands needed to get together. Mr. Myers asked me if I would join this group: to help start a journey toward balancing the needs of the trees and the eagles, the waters and the turtles, the forest and the deer, the meadows and butterflies.
I resoundingly said yes. Mr. Myers is putting all prescribed burns in blocks with bald eagle nests on hold for more than the two weeks delay we had been asking for. He wants input from the very diverse set of interests he is asking to join the study so decisions about things like prescribed burns can be made in concert and agreement. Thank you, Mr. Myers.
That is Hershey landing this morning in front of the H&G nest. Just behind his head you can see the beak of Granola. To the left and looking owlish is Raisin.