wild bird

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By Jordan Lake Dam: Falcon! The Merlin, 4 photos, 04-16-2019
Falcon!  The Merlin.
 
This small raptor is slightly bigger than our American kestrel.
I am used to seeing a few merlins each winter at Jordan Lake.
But, oh my, this morning at the dam, a merlin came in and made my day shine!!!
Note that in the last picture he was quickly leaving me and my camera behind.
Like all falcons the merlin is a speedy raptor!!
 
 
 

By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest report: First Nest, 2 photos, 04-11-2019
First Nest
 
The lake level was so high that I could not see the nest.
The sky was sunny, but I was not because I wanted to see the chicks branching.
I had turned around to go back to my truck when a shadow blew past me.
Not a sound had been made in the cove. Yet, here was Kate at a high speed heading for the nest.
She didn’t have a fish.  She did look angry.
Into the branches around the nest Kate disappeared.
No sounds. I waited another 30 minutes then had to leave, wondering why the dash to the nest.
 
 

By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest report: First Nest, 4 photos, 04-10-2019
 
First Nest
 
The pine pollen has not abated and the lake level has risen.
Both situations make watching the nests a difficult task.
 
Oh what a determined face as Caramel contemplates maybe making a try for the other side of the nest.
 
Uh, maybe I ought to think some more about heading across the nest.
 
 
I wonder if that human down there has noticed me.
 
As if you haven’t seen enough pollen this week … this is what the lake looked like this morning!
 

By Jordan Lake Ospreys: Shelter Osprey Nest 04-06-2019
Shelter Osprey Nest
 
In most raptors, the female bird is larger than the male.
This is easy to see in the ospreys and bald eagles at Jordan Lake.
You can certainly see the size difference in the parents of the Shelter Nest.
 Osprey Mom, heading to the left, is much bigger than Osprey Dad who is looking to the right.
Sometimes this size difference makes the female ospreys and bald eagles 25 – 30% bigger than the males.
This trait is known as gender dimorphism.
_ARK8902 Ebenezer 06-04-19 10-57-08 2 osprey dimorphic

By Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Nest report: H&G Nest, 4 photos 03-12-2019
H&G Nest
 
The high lake levels have kept all of the bald eagle nest monitors from checking the nests as often as we usually do.
I got to the nest of Hershey and Godiva to find that their chick(s) have hatched!
That is Hershey at the lower left as Godiva is watching from behind the main truck of their nest tree.
 
 
Godiva leaning over to feed an unseen chick.
 
 
Hershey on his favorite outlook post.
 
 
After the chick feeding, Godiva settled in to enjoy some of the morning sunshine.