Eagle Nest in Use

Mother Eagle peeks above her nest while she awaits the arrival of her mate

Changing of the Guard

 

Big birds, like Bald Eagles and Ospreys, who build big nests, often return to them, refurbish them, and give life to new hatchlings in them. In Florida, Ohio, a nest built between the Maumee River and a portion of the old Maumee and Erie canal along scenic State Route 424 has been reused for decades.

In the second picture (ABOVE), Mr. arrives to land in the nest just after Mrs. departs. He waited on a nearby branch before entering the nest, giving his Mrs. room for lift-off.

Eagle nests can be as wide as ten feet across and weigh in at 1,000 pounds, or more.

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Credit:
Photos from the personal and copyrighted collection of Barbara Anne Helberg

 

Favorite Flyers

The Great Blue Heron, with its purple-bluish bordered wings has been a frequent subject (in season) for my camera over the past several years. (ABOVE) is one of my favorite (and early) photos of a GBH. He surprised me as he flew beneath me under the bridge at Napoleon, Ohio. I was camped topside on the bridge sidewalk, a common spot for me to wait for herons to fish near the site, which is part of the backyard of our apartment building.

(BELOW) is another early favorite photo, taken when I first discovered I had unique access to herons between the middle of September and the middle of October each Fall. These long-necks venture down river toward Napoleon from Grand Rapids, Ohio, and other northern locations to pursue the plentiful fish that thrive in the Maumee River.

When this fellow (ABOVE) came in for a landing, I was sitting on a riverside dock only yards away from him. Another surprise photo opportunity presented itself that day.

Herons usually are very shy about sticking around when the slightest movement, or sound, interrupts their fishing. So I was lucky to be able to snap this picture right before this fellow’s landing became a change-of-mind take-off!

(BELOW) is another snap from the bridge. There’s quite a difference in the bird’s appearance from the sunny day of the first picture on this post, and the one (below) shot on a cloudy afternoon.

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Credit:
Enlarged Photos from the personal and copyrighted collection of Barbara Anne Helberg

 

Lucky Day

It’s really difficult to catch a sharp picture of a flying big bird with my modest Canon digital, but I had my lucky day recently. I caught this fellow just in time before he left my frame. He flew over the Maumee River from bank to bank (South to North) as I stood on the bridge watching.

He’s a Great Blue Heron. It’s easy to see in this picture how the bird folds in his stick feet in flight. Also, his small tail feathers are clearly on display.

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Credit:
Photo from the personal and copyrighted collection of Barbara Anne Helberg

Fish-Filled Neck Line

Great Blue Herons are known for their fishing abilities. The reality is they gulp up fish at a rate too fast to completely swallow!

Check out this big fellow’s gullet (BELOW); it’s stuffed, but his neck line below is at its normally slim size as he tries to swallow all he can catch.

Herons and Egrets frequent the waters of the Maumee River in the backyard of our apartment building from the middle of September to the middle of October yearly. They are one of Nature’s great entertainers.

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Credit:
Photos from the personal and copyrighted collection of Barbara Anne Helberg