This morning at the Jordan Lake dam was a rarity.
I often see several species…but today was extremely varied:
 
 I saw a bald eagle fledgling, the largest bird at the lake.
 
A ruby-throated hummingbird stopped by; the smallest bird at the lake.

 
A male osprey caught a fish for his nestlings.
 
 
Some immature little blue herons flew past.
The youngsters are not blue at all, 
but are white with black tipped wings, yellowish legs and dusky bills.
At first glance they look like great egrets!
 
 

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peace and grace, doc ellen

Available for Kindle Fire, Apple iPad, Android devices, Mac or PC computers.

Today the eastern kingbird had the audacity to up the ante.
He spied Hershey again crossing the cove.
The bald eagle understood what the smaller bird was up to.
So Hershey rolled up on his side to deny the kingbird a landing place.
Yes, landing space on the eagle’s back.
When that didn’t work Hershey rolled back flat and reached for a higher gear.
No dice.  The kingbird had the groove, the draft from the bigger bird.
In the little bird flew and got his piece of defiance with a sharp peck!

When you have babies in the nest, 
your size and that of the potential predator doesn’t matter.
The parent eastern kingbird felt Hershey flew too close to the nest.
The small bird escorted the bald eagle all the way across the cove.
Hershey simply ignored the much smaller kingbird.
 
Size reference: the king bird is about the size of a robin.

H&G Nest
 
Hershey and Godiva were shuttling back and forth past me.
I am not sure what they were hauling – fish or otherwise…
I could hear their fledglings calling each time as the parents came into sight.
 
Hershey on his way to the nest with food tucked up against his tail.
 
Hershey with his second batch of food.
 
Godiva on her way to what ever the food source was…
I didn’t manage to get a shot of her with some of the meals – she went past twice.
 
LL&H nest
 
What a joy this morning to be able to see Heritage!  
Lady Lake wasn’t with him but hopefully she wasn’t far away.
 
I know that either Heritage and/or Lady Lake have visited their nest.  
I hope they repair it for next breeding season.
Heritage going past.