Ospreys don’t have roofs over their nests, so no shade. Excessive heat is dangerous to all animals. Osprey parents, especially mom, give up their own comfort in order to actually make shade for their chicks. The parent will stand with wings outspread for incredibly long minutes to make sure their chicks are cool. Here are three examples of mom osprey as she becomes a life sustaining shade.
The immature great blue heron to the left is one of this year’s fledglings. The immature great blue heron to the right is probably from last year’s breeding cycle. All great blue herons are grumpy and very territorial. As you can see, the older youngster stands his place on the river’s edge and the younger bird eventually decides the better part of discretion is just to turn and walk off.
Fledge! The bald eagle chick on the left of nest brim thought hard. Launched. Set feet and wings for first landing! Disappeared as Captain Doug and I watched its very first flight! Check 1st photo again, go right of nest and see the other fledgling watching its sibling.
Oh, joy! Today was my first day back on the lake cruising with Captain Doug since my surgery. We quickly found a female bald eagle and a fledgling right close to her. I don’t know what nest they were from but it sure did my heart a whole lot of good to be in the living presence of such majesty again.
The surgeon has released me back to the wild – albeit at a slow careful pace! I arrived shoreside and was able to record a tale in my Jordan Lake Myths. 🐢 It had been a very rough, very stormy night that lasted into the morning. The ancient timber lizard – not seen in a millennium – was actually tossed into the water! The pond turtle came to see if it could help the lizard. “Yes”, said the ancient timber lizard, “my eyes got bruised, and I can’t really see”. “Well”, said the turtle, “I will just climb up on your back and help give you directions.“ It was a slow paddle, given the damage to the timber lizard legs, and even its snout. Eventually, the ancient timber lizard reached land and as it slipped into the shoreline shrubs, it said “thank you dear turtle, thank you“.
doc ellen's journey 