Mom Ranger

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By JL bald eagle nest report 06-04-2018
Ranger Nest
 
The feud continued this morning, bright and early.
Dad osprey decided to buzz the bald eagle nest, again.
When Dad osprey launched from his perch I could’t see either parent eagle.
As you can see, mom Ranger showed up ready to fully engage with the much smaller bird.
The eagle chicks watched intently.
Dad osprey danced a side-ways jig and dove into the trees with Mom Ranger right behind him.
No birds got hurt, but the feathers continue to stay ruffled.

By JL Eagle Nest report: Ranger nest, 3 photos 06-01-2018
Ranger Nest
This morning I had gotten down the path and put my folding chair in place.
Went to pick up my camera … an eagle screamed in the tree right over my head.
My heart just stopped, thinking that one of the chicks had fledged and crossed the cove to my side.
I didn’t want to spook it so I bent over to pick up my chair to back out of the area when a shadow exploded over me.
It wasn’t a chick at all, oh, no, it was Mom Ranger and she was angry. Yikes!
But it wasn’t me she wanted to take on … it was dad osprey.
The ospreys have been in an uproar since their chicks hatched and are now a good size for eagle snacks.
The ospreys have been almost constantly chasing the adult eagles away from the osprey nest.
The eagle chicks watched Mom flash by above them.
You can see in the last photo that Mom Ranger had had enough of the harassment and meant business.
Both adult birds flew into the sun and I lost them.
Several minutes later I got my breath back and marveled at the surprises Jordan Lake shows me.

By JL Bald Eagle Nest report: Ranger Nest 05-31-2018

Ranger Nest:

The two chicks are wet and hungry. Mom brings in a fish. Being eagles, the two chicks each try to get to mom first to grab the fish from her talons. A free-for-all ensues. The biggest chick wins the fish. Mom goes out on the big branch to continue drying out from all the rain. The smaller chick begs from its bigger sibling for some fish but doesn’t get any. The little one then tries to beg from Mom but she doesn’t have a fish to give. This is typical bald eagle behavior. The high thin weap-weap-weap calling is the sound of a hungry bald eagle chick.

By JL Raptor report: Ranger Nest 7 photos 05-04-2018
Ranger Nest:
 
An unknown fledgling flew over the Ranger nest.  
Interestingly enough, neither parent bird saw this foreign youngster as a threat.
 MARK0121 WO East 01-05-18 15-26-1-1-1-Edit
Mom Ranger had been preening when something way down the cove caught her attention and she dashed off to investigate.
My human eyes could not see what had caused the eagle to take flight.
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Both Ranger chicks – note how shiny black the baby’s beak is – this is normal for this age.
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That is dad Osprey, from the neighborhood, flying above the eagle nest.
He certainly caught the attention of both bald eagle chicks!
The osprey is an annoyance but not a threat to the eagle chicks.
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Mom Ranger is staring down at a red-headed woodpecker that had landed about 20 feet below her.
I couldn’t get both birds in the photograph.
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As the day got hotter, the chicks instinctively panted and dropped their wings to get better airflow around their bodies.
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This 4-year-old bald eagle is a threat and grave danger to the Ranger chicks.
Both Ranger parents came screaming in to protect their chicks.
The juvenile bald eagle ignored everybody and calmly flew across the cove and out of sight.
 MARK0271 WO East 01-05-18 16-04 1-1-1-Edit

 

By JL Eagle Nest Report: Ranger Nest, 2 photos 3/30/2018
Mom Ranger and her two chicks were waiting for some fish.
 
 
Then mom Ranger saw an osprey flying in with a fish for its mate.
Mom Ranger dashed for the osprey and literally banged into it, hoping to get the osprey to drop its fish.
This is a favorite tactic of bald eagles – let the osprey catch the fish, then steal the fish for the eaglets.
The plucky osprey hung onto its prize and dashed between two trees where mom Ranger couldn’t follow it.
Mom Ranger was quite grumpy.  Not everything goes the eagle’s way.