Jordan Lake. All three of the TRIPLETS are alive and doing well! Captain Doug and I managed to get out today to monitor our nests after the big rain, high lake levels and wind. Dad Bard is feeding his chicks. Second photo with arrows so that y’all can see where all three chicks were in the nest. I hope all of you are smiling as big as I am.
Jordan Lake. First Nest. The lake level is at 219.75 ft which is 3.75 ft above normal. I am still not able to see First Nest. However, I did watch Mom Kate take a fish in past the tree line – headed for the nest. Dad Bard came by on a thermal. Every day I hope the lake is down enough so I can get in and see the chicks. I bet all of you are hoping that too!
Jordan Lake. You’ve probably wondered why there has not been a report from Doc Ellen on the bald eagle nests of late. The lake level has been so very high that I cannot get in to monitor the nests. Most of the boat ramps are so far underwater that boats can’t get in either. It will most likely be end of next week before I can get back to checking on the nests. Sigh!
Jordan Lake. First Nest. More than 2500 feet away from me I watched Dad Bard really get into the case of a yearling bald eagle that had the audacity to try to trespass upon First Nest territory. I converted the shots to black-and-white to try to give you as much detail as possible – almost 1/2 mile is a long stretch for my lens. I hope you enjoy the video.
Jordan Lake. First Nest. Bald eagle chicks soon begin to exercise their wings and chest muscles in anticipation of eventual flight. I call this exercise “wing wapping”. As you can see the exercise can get quite vigorous. At one point the chick that is wing wapping is annoying the other two chicks.
Jordan Lake. Watching the triplets. The three chicks are doing a lot of preening as they molt feathers. The big chick actually does a little bit of wing stretches! The smallest chick is behind the biggest chick but you can still see it occasionally. The middle chick is to the right hand side of the nest.
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