More About The Majestic Bald Eagles~

Can you all believe that it is almost June...my favorite month and it will surely go as quickly as the year has gone already. 

Before I begin, I want to say that I am going to dedicate this post to the landowners where this Bald Eagle nest is located.  They have done everything to make sure that these wonderful birds are given every opportunity to flourish, year after year.  What a blessing they have been given and I got just a glimpse and am still get teary eyed, each time I visit.  I also want to thank once again the wonderful people who have allowed me the access to be able to watch over as best that I can, this nest site and to be able to get a few nice snap shots along the way.  

I feel forever grateful and blessed!

A little more about this particular nest, and yet still not revealing it's location.  

According to the resource Biologists with the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, as of last August they had counted 131 occupied Bald Eagle nests, which was up from 123 in 2013 and from only 42, back in 2005.  The nest that I have had the opportunity to follow is in it's sixth nesting season.  One year the nest produced a single eaglet and every year since, it has produced two.  For last year's count for the state of Kentucky, the estimate was 147 eaglets produced, with only 74 that fledged, which would be a 30% success rate. Even with this, the nesting percentage has increased 212 percent, which is huge. 

Our national emblem, the Bald Eagle was placed on the Endangered Species Act when their population was decimated largely due to food contamination with use of the pesticide DDT.  Banning DDT in 1972, was  paramount in insuring their recovery. That along with land and habitat protection has strongly influenced the amazing come back of these wonderful birds. 

The natural mortality rate for the first year Bald Eagle is high, just like in all Birds of Prey, less than 50% will survive their first year.  
Let us just hope that once these 2 eaglets have fledged, they shall thrive and do very well~

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

This may be called the Bald Eagle shuffle ;)

Eagles have to scratch the itch too~

The female was leaving the nest site, when I got this capture, just as she was rising above the nest tree~

On this particular day, while I sat on the porch stoop, as I usually did, the female came over to get a closer look at me.  I felt in absolute awe~

One of the adults stayed on the nest from brooding, until weeks later when the eaglets had grown by leaps and bounds.  Then they would perch in a tree nearby and keep vigil over their young~

Yikes I got a decent flight shot...so hard for me to do as I really limited myself by keeping very close to my boundary targets.  The trees once in full canopy of green nixed it as well~

The next two images are actually both superimposed images.  I wanted to show how far away the nest was to me, using my 70/300 lens and then atop of those, I placed a cropped shot, to show the difference~

They are some very large young ones, and soon they should begin to branch a bit and then fly.  So far I have seen them waving those massive wings about a bit, as they jump around on the nest, usually following a good meal~

The female takes a break~

I got fortunate on this day as the lighting could not have been more perfect, and I had encountered more gray days, then pretty ones~

I like this image...do you see me...I see you~

In the image below, you can see both of the young Eaglets~

I will try to have at least one more Bald Eagle posting, hopefully getting some flight shots of these incredible birds.  I have been forever changed in having this experience.  I truly just cannot explain, how wonderful these months have been for me.  Look how large they have gotten in about 12 weeks time, I am guessing.  It has been getting very warm and these birds are very patient waiting on the adults to bring in their food.  They pant just like a dog would to cool down a bit~