double-crested cormorant

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By Jordan Lake: Hey Wait, I Think You Have My Fish! 06-06-2019
Jordan Lake: Wait! Hold on! Hey, I think you have my fish!
I caught up with the osprey as he was coming up from a fishing dive.
I thought it was probably a decent set of shots.
Got home and started looking through the set and lo and behold, there was more action than I thought.
A cormorant popped up behind the osprey and was looking for his fish.
I don’t think the osprey deliberately stole the cormorant’s fish. Ospreys don’t do that kind of fishing.
I think both birds went for the same fish under water and the osprey got to the fish first.
But I gotta say the cormorant sure looks woeful as the osprey flies off with the fish!

By Jordan Lake Dam update, 5 photos 09/28/2018
I realized this evening that I have been concentrating on water, water, flooding water everywhere.
So, let’s catch up with some of the other events in the Jordan Lake Dam Neighborhood.
 
While trying to catch the fog lifting above the long leaf pine meadow, a flock of double-crested cormorants graced the rising sun.
 
 
A fledgling bald eagle, one of this year’s babies, seemed to challenge the sun and flew into the east.
 
 
Here is an adult bald eagle, very intent on something way across the main lake, near where the Haw River joins the Middle Creek.
 
 
If her stout beak had not protruded way past the clump of leaves where she perched, I would have missed the female belted kingfisher.
 
 
And then there are the small winged creatures, like this common buckeye butterfly, that try to sense if I am to be avoided or dismissed.

By Jordan Lake Neighborhood, 6 photos, 03/23/2017
A proper bald eagle scowl.  
 
Usually I am the watcher.  Today I found myself being the observed species by this osprey.
 
The tiny fluffs of feathers on each side of this double-crested cormorant’s head are his “crests”.
Only the mature double-crested cormorant has the crests.  
There are none on the immature bird at the lower right.
This is a first for me and my camera – a great horned owl.
Truly a mouthful…for this great blue heron.

By Jordan Lake Neighborhood, 3/16/2017 7 photos

4 year-old bald eagle watching an osprey across the cove

osprey determined to get his fish to his mate

trio of red-breasted mergansers

lead bird is an immature male, called an eclipse phase

second bird is a mature female and the last bird is a mature male

close-up of the mature male red-breasted merganser

the red-breasted merganser trio taking flight

double-crested cormorant resplendent in its green black body and neck, accented by the bronze of its wings

the small trees and tall bushes edging the lake in many areas are full of the sweet calls of the song sparrows

By JL Neighborhood Feeding Feast, 12 photos, 1/23/2017
A feeding frenzy erupted at the lake yesterday.
It was started by 4 white pelicans – yes, pelicans, you know, those warm climate birds…
that most likely for weather related reasons were at Jordan Lake.
White pelicans don’t do the spectacular fishing dives that the brown pelicans do.
Nope.  The white pelicans fish cooperatively using their feet and bodies to push fish into a tight mass.
Then the pelicans feast.  AND, the bald eagles saw a buffet open up on the lake.
Without hesitation…after all, they are Eagles… the bald eagles started fishing in the middle of the congregation.
So did the great blue herons, the cormorants, the gulls and the terns.
There were several fights between eagles.
For more than 45 minutes I watched, photographed and enjoyed.  I hope you do too.
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