A pair of Bald Eagles at a new nest at Jordan Lake Park
Found a new *possible* Bald Eagle nest this morning while birding at Jordan Lake. Not going to say where it’s at exactly, but I’m very happy to see these two!
This is the time of year that Bald Eagles start laying their eggs, but I’m thinking that this pair haven’t started their clutch yet. Both birds rarely sat still and were busy arranging sticks and rummaging around in the nest.
I’ve reported my find to the ARMY Corps of Engineers nesting project for confirmation of possible new listing & I’ll be returning to the site over the next week to double check that this is indeed an active nest. Very cool to see these large raptors thriving in central NC. Looking forward to seeing what happens!
I’m excited to report that I’ve teamed up with the ARMY Corps of Engineers to help monitor Bald Eagle nests at Jordan Lake for the 2020 season. 🦅 This is a team effort, a joint project between the public & private (volunteer) sector to collect nesting data for breeding Bald Eagles at Jordan Lake. My duties will include spending at least 4 hours a month watching nests and taking behavioral notes as the birds raise their families.
Due to the efforts made by the ARMY Corps of Engineers along with Eagle lovers like you and me, Jordan Lake now boats the one of the highest populations of nesting Bald Eagles on the east coast. Every year brings a new generation of these incredible birds into the world (like the two youngsters featured in these photographs) and I couldn’t be happier. It’s amazing to see how their nesting pair numbers have grown from zero in the 1980’s to now. Today, nearly every large body of water here in N.C. has at least an Eagle or two living nearby. I’ve even started seeing them commonly hunting for fish at smaller ponds and lakes like Yates Mill Pond and Bass Lake Park here in the Triangle. Remarkable!
I’m so excited, can’t wait to get some great photos, learn new things, and contribute to the conservation efforts of protecting these incredible birds.
To learn more , check out the link below. Here you will find information about the programs efforts across the United States.
Bald Eagle Recovery Efforts at Corps of Engineers Projects
Spent the morning photographing 3 juvenile Bald Eagles and an Osprey at the Observation Deck at Jordan Lake in Apex, N.C. It was windy and a bit chilly but not a bad way to start the day 🙂
Bald Eagles are a year round resident of Jordan Lake and are thriving in this environment. The
lake hosts the largest population of nesting Eagles on the east coast.
This makes them pretty easy to find throughout the year, especially in
the Jordan Dam and Martha’s Chapel Rd. area.
It wasn’t always this good though! Before
being reintroduced by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission in 1982,
there were no known pairs of nesting bald eagles in the state. Since
then, eagle populations have steadily increased — up to 250 nesting
pairs are spread out in the state across the coastal, piedmont and
mountain regions. Truly a great success in conservation efforts!
I’m sooo looking forward to photographing breeding season this February. Btw, I may have some interesting personal news to share with you on my eagle endeavors in mid December.
Did you know that Jordan Lake State Recreation Area still boasts one of the highest populations of nesting Bald Eagles on the east coast? Most of the ones I’ve encountered are found near the Jordan dam which is maintained by the US ARMY Corps of Enjineers, but they can be seen circling the skies almost everywhere above the lake. Since these birds can be a bit shy, a longer lens will be a big help if you decide to visit with photography in mind. Also, don’t forget to listen for their calls as they are most easily located by their frequent schreeeeeches in the tall trees along the densely wooded shoreline.
I photographed this juvenile and adult just a few hours after Hurricane Dorian pulled away from the Raleigh N.C. area. Such a beautiful bird! 🙂
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