Uh, oh, ever have one of those days when no matter which way you turned, it was the wrong way?
The osprey was trying hard to keep the year-old bald eagle from stealing it’s fish.
 
 
The osprey noticed the incoming, much more dangerous, problem before the immature eagle did.
 
 
Then the immature bald eagle realized there was another challenger for the osprey’s fish.
 
 
The adult bald eagle came in on a steep dive.  The osprey dropped its fish.  The younger eagle made a try for the falling fish.
The adult bald eagle stalled out of its dive, hovered and missed the falling fish too.  Oh, my.
 
 
 

The sky over the Haw River, as it exited the Jordan Lake Dam, was full of fishing ospreys, gulls and cormorants.
A piercing whistle alert by one of the ospreys caused every bird in the air to scatter.
I knew the whistle meant there was an eagle coming.
I turned and there was this beautiful 3-year-old bald eagle.
As I tracked the eagle I could hear the continuing alarm calls of the ospreys.
The eagle ignored all of us and crossed to the north and disappeared.

Event Invitation:  Saturday, March 23, 2019, from 2:00 to 3:00PM.

The dynamic fish hunter the Osprey, has started its late winter migration back towards the Lake.  What a great time to discuss the interactions of the Ospreys and Bald Eagles of Jordan Lake!  Please join Doc Ellen and Ranger McMurray for an indoor/outdoor presentation about these magnificent predators.  We will also discuss other migratory birds, warblers, sparrows etc. that come north in the spring. Weather permitting, we will spend some time outside after the indoor portion.  Please dress accordingly.  No reservations required, just show up!  
For questions, email steve.mcmurray@ncparks.gov or contact Doc Ellen via her Facebook Page.
 
An Osprey parent and an immature Bald Eagle face off because the eagle got too close to the osprey’s nest.

The young bald eagle, right at a year in age, had caught a fish from the Haw River, right below the Jordan Lake Dam.
 
 
 
 
Then the youngster had to make a mad dash up into the trees if he was going to keep the fish for his breakfast.
 
 
 
 
The eaglet got to the tree branch with the fish firmly under his right foot.
 
 
 
 
It was a small fish and the youngster quickly tore it apart and finished all but the piece dangling from his left foot.  
He was one proud-of-himself bald eagle!