Each year when the ospreys return to Jordan Lake, territory disputes occur.
The east side of the First Nest Cove belongs, more or less, to the ospreys.
The west side of the cove, more or less, belongs to the bald eagles.
The osprey female initiated this encounter when Petruchio crossed the “line”.
Ultimately Petruchio pushed the osprey back east of the line and for the moment quiet reigned.
I gotta admit I admired the spunk of the much smaller osprey!
Godiva is just in front of the nest.
The 1 year old bald eagle to the far upper right made the mistake of flying too close to the nest.
I sure wish I was equipped to be able to show all of you better photos of this nest.
There are only a couple of viewing points that will not disturb the nest –
they are more than 1000 feet across the cove from the nest.
Hershey is bringing in a fish for his chicks.
The ospreys have returned from South America – welcome home.
One year old bald eagle looking fierce in the morning light.
A very cold eastern bluebird, who like me, was wondering where the warm weather went.
Great blue heron stalking through the shoreline bushes.
Belted kingfisher surveying the waters for his next fish.
The small pied-billed grebe is named after the way the black ring bisects his beak.
The morning light illuminates this Bonaparte’s gull.
Momma Godiva was sitting on the rim of the nest
when she dove off and headed straight toward me.
In mid air she swung over on a wing and headed for the water.
She took to the nest a small fish that was happily consumed by the chicks.
right to left: Kate almost hidden in the branches
one of the chicks is at the nest rim, looking up at his sibling who is standing and wing wapping
one of the chicks, center of nest rim, looking up at mom Kate
one of the chicks half standing and you can see he still has some grey hatching fluff on his head
both chicks are grooming to remove itchy baby feathers as their adult feathers grow in
mom Kate is in the grooming state of mind too
new cover photo for my Facebook page
adult bald eagle
eastern bluebird
1 year-old bald eagle
golden-crowned kinglet
Bonaparte’s gulls
herring gull
late winter spider web in black and white
doc ellen's journey 