Photos by Donna

This past week the migrating waterfowl increased more in numbers in our Oyster Cove area.  The Canadian geese abound and are enjoying their protection over at CBEC every night, and early the next morning they’ll swim on by our osprey nest towards Kent Island where they take a gander at our little cove before taking flight for their day’s adventure.

In addition, our infamous gulls have continued to visit our osprey nest.  Both yesterday and today, one enjoyed perching and even some snoozing.

Not sure if he’s been around this week, but I didn’t catch any glimpses of Blake, our visiting Great Blue Heron.  But my treat of the week occurred today while I puttered around cooking for the holidays.  They didn’t stay long but we had the pleasure of having two bald eagles perch on our osprey nest briefly.  Here are several shots to enjoy!  Note the larger of the two on the right would be the female eagle who like the female osprey are larger than their male partners.

They each gave me a stare-down while I photographed them as still as I could from my balcony.  They most certainly knew I was there.

After a bit, the male took off from the nest.

After he left, the female eagle followed.  Notice she grabbed some of the osprey nesting material to take with her.  We all know Oliver, our osprey dad, would not be too happy!  He works so hard every year to build back his family’s home.

Weren’t they beautiful?  So majestic in stature!  The bald eagles in our area are now busy bonding with their partners and working on their nests for their upcoming breeding season when they will mate and lay eggs late January/early February.  Their nests can be massive, reaching 10 feet in diameter, 12 feet deep, and up to two tons in weight.  Here’s a photo of an eagle’s nest on nearby Wye River that can be seen by boat that my husband and I’ve been watching the last couple years.  Now that’s a nest!

As we wind through the hustle/bustle of the upcoming week, everyone please be safe and have fun!  I may not be able to post again until after Christmas so I want to wish nothing but the best for you and your family as you celebrate the upcoming holidays.  Merry Christmas my friends!