This osprey fledgling had been chasing his father Ace when he decided to make a landing on the flat surface of the dam’s tailrace. The flat surface makes a landing tricky and takes a lot of concentration…
flight
Tagyou just never know…
You just never know when an eagle will appear – or where it will land.
In this case the landing pad is one of the warning signs at the Jordan Lake dam.
The eagle balanced on the thin edge for four minutes.
My friend and I were still discussing the strange perch when a second adult eagle came up river.
The second eagle flew by the first eagle. Neither bird made a sound or seemed to notice each other.
The second eagle soared out over the dam and on to the lake.
The first eagle eventually gave up its balancing act and flew a very short distance – and this time landed in a pine.
Independence Day 2015
May your holiday be one of peace and joy.
May we each remember that the freedom that was so dearly bought is to be shared amongst kin, friends and countries.
While we thank those who sacrificed for our independence then and continue to give their labor and life for freedom today.
Hershey, the milk-chocolate eagle, soars above us because we also care for his world too.
food security for Hershey
Having caught his fish with only his right foot,
Hershey needs to secure his grip for the flight to an eating perch.
The fish is still within his focal points as Hershey reaches to place his left foot for added grip.
Makes me a little dizzy just contemplating his bowed head, the forward flight and the downward vision…
snatch
The third step in Hershey’s fishing sequence:
the snatch.
Notice that he has caught the fish almost at the surface.
Sometimes I honestly believe bald eagles don’t like getting their feet wet.
Or perhaps it is that, unlike the osprey who so exuberantly goes whole body under when fishing,
the eagle practices a more finessed style of getting its fish.
Hershey
This is Hershey.
I have watched Hershey for more than 4 years.
He got his name because he is the lightest colored bald eagle on Jordan Lake that I have seen.
All adult bald eagles have body and wing feathers that are brown,
usually such a deep brown that they often appear to be black.
But Hershey is a rich milk chocolate, hence his name.
doc ellen's journey 