Bart & Gail in North Carolina 2009

North Carolina hospitality is a hearty dinner, lot of laughs and off to Jordan Lake for birding especially the bald eagle.

At the Jordan Lake Project, you will find all varieties of bird life inhabiting its 46,768 acres. Of this total, 13,900 acres have been flooded to form the lake and 32,868 acres are being managed for recreation and wildlife management.

The Jordan Lake Project is Bart and Gail’s personal bird aviary; armed with their binoculars and zoom cameras, it is there where they can use their stalking abilities to position themselves to observe and photograph their favorite bird of prey, the Bald Eagle.

Notwithstanding the awesome beauty, the Lake replicates as a learning center for students to advance their appreciation and knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management.

Gail and Allen getting hyped for the adventure of what the lake has to offer today. Usually the roots of that tree are underwater, the rainfall has been light up to that week.

Donna, Bart and Gail spread out on the beach in formation in hopes of spotting the elusive eagle,

Looks like they have something in their sights, shhh everyone quiet….

Yes, they do, it is an immature eagle (less than 5 years of age), its feathers are black with some white spots, the beak black as tar, and his talons sharp as a razor.

The Eagle is considered a precious commodity to the Americans and the Native American Indians because they do not breed often, while there are only 9800 breeding pairs of Eagles in the U.S.A. this could categorize them as endangered species. Under the Bald & Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and amendments, an Eagle may not be mutilated or killed for their body parts, not even a loose feather may be picked up. The federal government governs the Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle is a symbolic icon for Americans and American Native Indians.

The Bald Eagle (he's mature, notice the white head) is important as they represent the American tradition. In 1782, the United States created and adopted the great seal, it is known as The Great Seal Flag. When this flag was created, the land forces quickly adopted the American eagle as their emblem and the rest is history. These birds represent strength and courage with a wingspan of 6 ½ to 7 feet, tip to tip and over 7,000 feathers.

When two Eagles breed they stay with each other for lifetime, however, when the partner dies, the Eagle will seek another partner. Eagles can live up to be 48 years old; however, their lifespan lasts about fifteen to twenty years.

Jordan Lake is also home to the Great Blue Heron.

Looking for lunch

Bart and Gail pointed out this beaver lodge to us. He wasn't home but was probably watching us from afar. We did see him later when he splashed his tail in the water to shoo us away.

Those are beaver teeth marks on that tree, as they say, busy as a beaver…

The North American box turtles are omnivores. Their sharp eyes and keen sense of smell help them in finding food. Generally their lifespan is approximately 40 years; however, some may live to 100 hundred years under the right conditions.

After several hours and miles later, it’s time for a well deserved rest and nourishment. It’s been a great day and Bart and Gail have taught us a lot about the bald eagle and its symbolic inspiration to our country.

"It is generally accepted that the Bald Eagle represents the most heroic and divine spirit. Many spiritual and Intuitive individuals are seen as "messengers from heaven" or having the ability to hear a higher level of divine inspiration. This can be shared with others for growth and a higher vision for humanity. This spiritual and intuitive evolution involves a resurrection within the self."