A few weeks ago, I took a quick scouting visit to Jordan Lake to see how many Bald Eagles had arrived.
I was pleased to see a few dozen but was hoping that there would be more.

These gorgeous birds are really fun to watch hunt and squabble for a meal.
As seen in the last few photos in this post, sometimes they can lose a catch just by landing on the wrong branch at the wrong time lol!

Jordan Lake is home to more than 20 pairs of nesting Bald Eagles that call this beautiful lake home throughout the year.
The Haw River which flows out the lake to the south is host to a large population of migratory Eagles during the wintertime. From what I’ve observed in the past few years, this large flock can grow to 100 birds is mainly made up of un-paired adults and juveniles.

Adult Bald Eagles are accomplished anglers and are able to zero in on their prey from over 30 feet above the water.
Once they commit to a fish, they bring their legs forward curling their body into a C position as their talons line up in line with their eyes in a dead focused triangle. The precision displayed in the moment that they strike their quarry is remarkable!

With a catch rate numbering in the 10% range, the younger ones are still learning the fine art of fishing but it’s really neat to watch their skills progress over the season.
Most of their misses seem to come from the juveniles not bringing their legs up high enough to better focus that narrow the shot range.
As with the case with many of us, they will fail over and over again, learning along the way until they are as accomplished as their elders 😉

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds