Jordan Lake. This morning the bald eagle chick in the nest was doing what I call wing wapping. In another words starting to work on all of the muscles, tendons, ligaments in its wings and body. Takes a lot of strengthening to get to the point where the chick can eventually fly. The last photo shows the chick in the nest just behind dad Hershey … I do believe the chick is saying “hey dad did you just see what I was doing?”
Jordan Lake: WRAL: the bald eagles at Big Pine Nest have made the Evening News tonight! WRAL is doing a piece on Mom Loblolly, Dad Pitch and their efforts to raise a family. Please tune in at 5:55PM! Link to video WRAL.com: http://wral.com/20205676?utm_campaign=webshare&utm_medium=email&utm_source=wral
On March 24, 1947, I came into this world. I once asked my mother what was I like – did I cry or smile – on the day I was born. She laughed and said you came in to the world singing. That revelation is startling: not that I was singing, but, because my mother had lost most of her hearing by the time I was born. I have spent my life in song, however over the last couple of decades, most of the singing has been simply for the ears of the animals that I work with, the birds that I photograph and the trees that I lean against.
I do enjoy singing but it is not the driving force of my life. Although, in a way, I feel I am singing as I satisfy my voracious curiosity and am almost driven to share my discoveries. Perhaps I do sing as I talk about soaring bald eagles, nesting blue birds, pennant dragonflies, American field pansies, ancient red oak trees, companion cats, patient dogs, horses I hug and attempt to heal and oh the smiles and the tears of all my friends.
I was asked a couple of days ago how my GoFundMe campaign was going. The nesting bald eagles have so occupied my time that I had not looked lately. So I pulled up the site and realized the campaign was close to the 3/4 of a century point … a 75, just as I am today. So I thought I would bring each of you up-to-date. There is still a distance to go for there to be enough funding for me to have the new camera and the new lenses. It’s been a year since I had a birthday gift to unwrap. Could you help me further unwrap my gift of singing the song of the birds through my photography and help me to continue to share my birthday gift with the world in brand new photographs? If you’ve already helped, my continuing thank you for your prayers and your funds. Please share this notice. If you’ve not joined in the campaign yet, would you consider doing so and as my mother would say: if it’s your birthday too, happy birthday and if it is not your birthday today then have a very happy un-birthday with me. GoFundMe https://gofund.me/9ba7f009
Jordan Lake Bald Eagle nests update. The lake has been so high that it has not been easy for any of us to monitor the nests. It has been dangerous to try to get boats out to check the nests – today’s photos are both from the shore.
Loblolly at Big Pine nest. The shelter nest is of grave concern to all of us – given the human intrusion the other day and we have not been able to actually see the nest from a boat, we don’t know the status of the chick there. So please hold Loblolly and Pitch and their chick in your heart.
The H&G nest. Their chick is growing! You can see it above the red arrow. The chick is looking to the left.
I sure am going to be glad when the lake gets back down to normal level and we can get out and get better looks at all of the nests all over the lake!
Jordan Lake: Two park visitors crossed inside the protection boundary at the shelter building this afternoon. Mom Loblolly went yelling up into the air and circled several times before coming in for a landing way north of the nest. An angry bald eagle comes in for a confrontational landing with its feet dangling … ready to strike in any direction. Usually bald eagles land with feet up and forward to catch the branch. However in this case, we know mom bald eagle was not chasing another bald eagle, but was trying to frighten off the humans. It is very rare for a bald eagle to actually attack a human. The bald eagle parents’ ultimate defense is to simply abandon the nest – I sure hope Loblolly and Pitch don’t react in that way. Mom Loblolly was protecting her nest the ancient bald eagle way but the people didn’t care or react to her efforts. After about five minutes or so the people got in their car and left. I ached for Mom Loblolly and Dad Pitch … that they are still being harassed by humans.
doc ellen's journey 