The Bald Eagle Became the US National Emblem in 1782~

Bald Eagles...Oh what majestic birds they are.  Living near the Ohio River, we have been able to view these beauties from time to time.  Not that long ago, I stood at the end of my driving path and had my camera with me.  I saw a large bird flying above our home and took a few quick images.  Later that day, I was uploading the images and realized a juvenile Bald Eagle had been soaring right over Tingsgrove.

I have visited the land this nesting pair is on a few times in nearly a month now.  In many situations, Raptors can be quite delicate about their nesting, while others are used to human activity and stay put.  

Over the coming weeks and hopefully next few months, I will try and document some of the activity that I am able to capture of this pair.  There should be available to me 3 days a weeks to observe their behavior, for as best I can and also for those days to afford me nice enough skies and weather to make it a wonderful experience, one which I am very grateful for.

I shall be traveling by Amtrak next week and will be away a bit while visiting my youngest daughter and her husby in sunny Florida, leaving my own husby home to watch over things here.  It has been a rough 10 weeks and I still have nerve compression, but life is so fleeting, I must take this opportunity. Once I return, then I will need to make a decision about trying an injection, or going for the out-patient surgery to correct the problem.

Enjoy your weekend and week and be a blessing to all, as you are to me~

* Update as of 2/16/2015.  

Journey has been postponed a week, due to heavy snow and my state has been termed a "state of emergency".  

All is well here, just cannot get out right now~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slide show presentation after you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

  In June of 2007, Bald Eagles were taken off of the Federal List for Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Bald Eagles, as with all Raptors finds the female the largest of the two, at 35 to 37 inches, which is only slightly larger than the male.  Their wingspan is 72 to 90 inches.  Those wings can take them to an altitude of 10,000 feet with speeds of 30 to 35 mph.  The juvenile birds will not reach full maturity until they are about 5 years of age.  Bald Eagles weigh between 10 and 14 pounds.  They have 7,000 feathers.  They may live as long as 30 years, and they are at the top of their food chain.  Their lifting power is 4 pounds, with their hunting area being 1,700 to 10,000 acres, and fish being their main food source.  Next time we visit the Bald Eagles and I return from my journey, I will share some interesting facts about their nests and nesting habits~

This is the female.  I watched her from my car and she had just chased the male from this perch~

The lighting of the sky was wonderful on this particular visit~

Words do not adequately describe that my heart was made happy when I was invited to get to come onto the land and be able to view and photograph these Amazing creatures.  I will not be sharing the location of this nest.  Many are already aware of it, but as a former person who held a federal permit to rehab and release Birds of Prey, I will not be the one to take a chance that the wrong person learns of a nest location and a breeding pair~

So far no one knows if the Bald Eagles have bred or, not.  I have seen one of them eating from the nest rim, as well as images like the one below from a great distance away.  Time will tell, that is for sure~