Quick survey of the breakfast flights at the Jordan Lake Dam tailrace riprap this morning. Just thought I would let y’all get a taste of how active the birds are being. At least three times I saw groups of 15 ospreys up in the air. There were 11 great egrets. 6 to 10 great blue herons. One green heron! If you get a chance, and even if you do not have binoculars or a telephoto lens, bring your chair and sit down at the riprap and just watch. The ospreys are fishing at the upper end of the river by the dam. I hope you get to go by and enjoy them.
raptor
TagIs the Osprey adult or fledgling?
When you cannot get close enough to an osprey to see its eye color (red/orange fledgling & yellow adult), especially in flight, and you want to know is it an adult or a fledgling. Take a look at the back of the bird! Fledgling has white points at the end of all of its feathers! Adult has beautiful brown flight feathers. 2 photos (adult left, fledgling right) so you can see the difference! Moncure, July 2025 & August 2014
Update Bald Eagle Jordan Lake Rescue
He is negative for avian influenza/ bird flu. That was first big hurtle. His weight has fluxuated – not unusual in the process toward recovery. He is getting supplements to help with recovery from the severe feather damage. He is being feisty. Still not capable of flight, he runs and hops around the long enclosure that is his home. As I get further information I will pass it along. Please note the ongoing cost towards his recovery is over $1500. Please consider making a donation, thank you! current location is Carolina Raptor Center, Huntersville, NC. photo is from day of capture
First Osprey Fledgling
My first sighting of one of this year’s fledgling ospreys! She is beautiful and her dark many layered necklace says I am female.
Bald Eagle Rescue!
The Rangers of Jordan Lake State Park discovered an injured bald eagle. Rangers Gibson, Sharpe, Davis and Baxter, working as a team, were able to safely get the bald eagle captured and into a dog crate. Park Supervisor Martin had called me asking how to safely catch the bald eagle and what were steps needed to get the bird to medical care. The bird needed to go to the Carolina Raptor Center for care and hopefully rehab. Dr. David Knox met me at the lake. The crated eagle went into his car and we drove to Huntersville NC. In 2nd photo the eagle was being examined by the staff at the Carolina Raptor Center. The staff is cautious about the eagles’s ability to recover. Recovery, in part, depends on results of the avian influenza bird flu test. If test is negative then the possibility of eventual release are good. If positive for the bird flu a lot of thought will go into the eagle’s future . If you would like to support the Carolina Raptor Center’s work, I have included the Jordan Lake bald eagle’s patient number and a QR code where you can learn about the Eagle and, if you would like, make donations to help the work at the center continue. On average it costs $1000 to recover a bird. I will pass along info at the beginning of next week on how the bald eagle is doing.
Shade!
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.
doc ellen's journey 