Great shots, especially considering the excitment associated with seeing these subjects. There are two mature and at least on immature visiting the lake in Woodhaven. The water level of the lake is being lowered to permit work on docks and cleaning up the shoreline. This makes fishing a bit easier, but the eagles don't seem to be nearly as talented and committed as the ospreys.
I was about to say how neat it is to see the eagle poplulation comemback that they are now easier to see. But, my second thought is, are we seeing them because they have lost more habitat? Hope that it is the former, and they are providing more photo ops.
Like Bill McGovern said- three & four year olds. This year many of us out here in Highland Co. watched a pair of balds that perched in the same clump of trees spring through fall.(US 220 south of Monterey 13.4 miles, east of road over Jackson River, near transmission line) One was a full adult and one a four year old I called "Dusty" because his head looked dirty. He had a small fringe of black on his tail. By fall he had matured to the point that unless they perched together I could not tell him appart from his mate. I'm attaching two photos Brenda Tekin took of him on May 20, 2006. Also on the same day Brenda photographed a 3-year-old between Mustoe & the tranmission line (US 220 south of Monterey about 11 miles, over Jackson River, east of road)that's included here. Since September we continue to get reports of an adult at transmission line, but no one has reported the pair together. We've had several reports of a 3-year-old there, but not at the same time as the adult. I suspect the 3-year-old is the same one Brenda photographed in May a few miles north. I watched it numerous times in the area all summer/fall and it gained a lot of white. On December 11 Keith Carson reported:Third-year BAEA perched in tree above Jackson River. This bird had much white including on head, under wings and on back. A second bird, most likely an osprey, perched nearby (at the transmission line site.)
YIKES! too dumb to see how to attach photos here. I'll send by regular email.
Also report from Edmund Hevener April 9, 2006, 7:30 a.m.:
Adult BAEA flew south over stream. Immature BAEA flew toward it from Lantz Mt. from the southwest. It turned as it got to the adult, flew behind it, flew over its back then flew under it upside down and they spun around each other one time while continuing to fly south. They flew south together.(South of Blue Grass, VA 0.2 mile west of VA 640 at Ruckman Lane, over South Branch of Potomac River)
Bill McGovern
04-Jan-2007 04:33
The series looks like a 3-year and a 4-year engaging in high-level sexual play (it's the right time of year, but these two are a bit young).