The next chapter began when J.C made another visit on 3-4-11 and took this picture. This is a picture of Mama eagle flying, high and soaring free above the grounds of the Forest Hill Cemetery.  Isn't she beautiful?  Perhaps she was on the hunt to catch something for her young eaglet to eat.

Stay‍‍ ‍Tuned!  
   ‍Enjoy!‍

    Then, J.C  began the third chapter on the morning of 3-6-11, it was a lovely Sunday morning .  While  J.C.  visited the cemetery  J.C. took this picture of what he always calls a "peaceful path", this path led back to the entrance of the black cemetery that is equally beautiful and quiet.

Then, J.C.  looked around the grounds and prayed for the souls buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery , that they all are resting in eternal peace with the Heavenly Father up in heaven . After J.C. prayed, he  began to observe and keep a look out for a sign of the eagles.  Until J.C.   suddenly spotted the two parents together in a tree.  When he e-mailed me the picture that day, he told me that the eagles were saying their prayers on that Sunday morning. Maybe the eagles were thanking God for providing a safe place for them to come and raise young, and the abundance of fish, before they asked Him to watch over their little eaglet.

Stay tuned for the rest of the chapter for 3-6-11 coming up tomorrow!
Enjoy!

   3-6-11 Continued
On that same Sunday morning,  J.C.  put on one of the camera's awesome zoom lens, and took this up close shot of Mama and Papa eagle .  Mama is on the left, and Papa is on the right .

Then, J.C. returned to the Forest Hill Cemetery on that Sunday afternoon, after the morning clouds. The sun began to shine, and the sky was a clear blue.  During  his eagle watching, he had  his camera ready for this shot. Mama eagle was coming in for a landing with some food she caught.

After J.C. sent me all of the pictures from 3-6-11, I replied to it and expressed my desire to go with him to see the eagles.  I got a reply that and told me I was welcome to come along the next day!  He also told me that 4:00 PM seemed the best time for taking pictures, the sky was clear around that time.
Stay tuned for my first American Bald Eagle Experience !
Enjoy!

  3-7-11 My first Eagle Watch Experience
The following day, fell on a Monday and I was very excited about going to see the American Bald Eagles.I made sure that my Easy Share Camera had charged batteries, and I even spent some of the day digging out my own pair of tasco binoculars.  Then, he  wanted me to meet him at his house. Then, we hopped into the car, or got into the car and we drove around to our backgate.  The Forest Hill Cemetery was on a little side road outside of our backgate, and the eagle watcher, pointed to the tree with the nest while we drove down the road.  I was amazed that he spotted the eaglet from the road! While it was still in its nest!  After J.C.  parked the car in his usual spot, I pulled my binoculars from their case, and removed the caps, before I put them around my neck, and grabbed my camera.  Then, we spent some time looking at the nest.
 Then we walked into the Forest Hill Cemetery. Where we spent some time walking around, this was my first time in the cemetery, and he was showing me some graves. Some, were really old, and then we watched the eaglet in the nest, and keeping an eye out for the eagles.  While I looked through my binoculars , he took some more pictures of me doing that .  So, here are those pictures.

I was still watching the nest and for any sign of the eagles. Then, I put my binoculars down and we walked around again and then suddenly I saw a huge shadow come over me.I asked  J.C. , as I looked up if that was one of the eagles.  He told me that it was!  Then, I saw it flying over the trees!  I was beyond excited , and bummed that I did not have my camera up and ready for pictures.  Still, it was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen.  Well, after that missed opportunity I thought it was time for me to try to get a picture of the eaglet in the nest. 

My experiemental shots are coming up.

Enjoy!

  So, here are my first pictures, these were my experiemental pictures. 
This first one was of the nest , or a bunch of trees.   But, check out that pretty blue sky! The nest was in the tree in the middle , beside the cluster of palms, the other group of trees on the far left.
After the first picture, I did not give up and I tried again.Here is my second attempt to capture the nest. In this picture I think people can see the nest.

I still did not give up, I don't give up , and this time the third time was not a charm.  Yeah in this picture I went up closer and lost the tree the nest was in !
But, it was still a lovely tree, and it showed my future potential just look at the detail I managed to capture.

Stay Tuned ! 

 You all would probably think that would have made me quit right? Nope, I tried two more times.  Here is my fourth picture.At least in this one I was back in the neighborhood, but the eaglet did not want to stay up for me.Which was another reason I kept on trying, I had a goal I wanted a picture of the eaglet.
Here is my fifth and final attempt .

After I gave up on taking pictures of the eaglet in the nest, I tried some other wildlife.The Forest Hill Cemetery is alive with all kinds of other birds, squirrels , rabbits, butterflies, other insects, and snakes. I have never encountered a snake there, but when I share 2012 's tales, I will share J.C.'s snake story. In the meantime, here is my attempt to take a picture of a pretty, red cardinal, in a tree.The cardinal was towards the top amongst the group of leaves that make a canopy, it was right underneath them.I know, I was too far away .

Before I put my camera down, I noticed a squirrel in the cemetery.So, I tried one more time to take a picture of something for my first Eagle Watch Experience.The squirrel was right under the tree in the middle and too far away.

Stay tuned  for more of my eagle buddy's pictures from 3-7-11  
Enjoy!

     3-7-11 Continued
While I failed at my first attempts to meet my goal of getting a picture of the eaglet,  J.C.  was clicking away on his Nikon and he got this picture of the eaglet, before we talked with a fellow bird watcher  It was nice to meet her.   After he introduced her to me, she shared how they wanted to be near the eagles, about the day the pair soared right over the yard.   She settled down in the same spot.  So, had been been observing the American Bald Eagles over the years, and how they raised their eaglets over those years.  J.C. also had told me and I forgot to mention that the nest site is protected by the state of Florida.  The avid bird watcher knew a lot about the eagles and she told us the next steps the eaglet was going to take. First, the eaglet was going to start going outside of the nest, just on a branch or two. 
Then, the second step was going to be the eaglet spreading its wings and flapping them, and the third step was going to be the eaglet trying to fly.  Then, the fourth step of the eaglet's life was going to be learning how to land.  The fifth step for the eaglet was going to be learning how to hunt.  Then, the sixth step for the eaglet was going to be learning how to land on the ground to catch a field mouse, and learning how to take off from the ground.  Then, some more training on how to catch fish , before the eagles leave for the summer and return in the fall to start the process all over again with a new young eaglet, or eaglets.  She also told us that if the eaglet returns to the nest, Mama and Papa will chase the eaglet away.  The pair has used the same nest, and  just added more to it each time they returned, unless it was destroyed.  If the nest was destroyed, then the pair would rebuild in the same location just in a different tree.  I learned a lot from her, and from things J.C. had told me , and with a little help from my bird book.
In this picture the eagle watcher took on that afternoon the eaglet is looking out for Mama or Papa , and for food.  It was a growing eaglet .   So, the eaglet did not want to look at J.C.'s camera .

After J.C.  took the picture of the eaglet, he also took a picture of a group of white birds. When he mentioned in his e-mail to me that he did not know what kind of birds they were,
I looked them up in my bird book, and compared his picture to the picture in the book. Then, I found a match and I let my eagle buddy know that he had taken a picture of a group of White Ibis birds. These types of birds were always found around cattle and pastures.  So, it made sense because they were flying over us, since the Forest Hill Cemetery was next to a pasture.

Then, before we headed back to our homes for the evening, the eagle watcher showed me the pasture with cows. We have about 1,000 acres of farmland around the cemetery , owned by brothers. One brother owns the cattle, and the other brother grows crops such as watermelon.
Then, we headed back in his car , and then we wished each other a "Good evening," before I greeted my mom and I helped her with supper , while I told her all about the nest and the eaglet.  So, that was the end of my first Eagle Watch Experience, with my eagle buddy.  
Stay tuned for more J.C.'s  Eagle Watch Experiences!
Enjoy!

 3-7-11  Continued

Here is the picture that J.C. took of the flock of migrating night birds. 
 Isn't it amazing how the birds stay in formation like that?

 Now I will share my second Eagle Watch Experience With J.C. !
Have a very happy, peaceful, and blessed weekend !

 J.C.'s photos from 3-11-11

J.C.'s camera's view  of my second Eagle Watch Experience 3-11-11
Right after my camera died, the eaglet worked off its breakfast by flapping its wings. 
J.C. captured the eaglet in mid flap, the eaglet was getting stronger.  Maybe it was still eating too, Mama
or Papa was also in the picture.

Then, the eaglet faced his camera while it stretched its wings.

Then, Mama or Papa eagle decided to perch in a branch outside of the nest, and the eaglet looked out at him, or her.

The eagle watcher also took another angle of the same scene.

Stay tuned for more from 3-11-11.
Enjoy!

   Here is a picture that J.C. took on the following Saturday morning of 3-12-11

This was J.C.'s picture of Mama eagle while she sat proudly in a tree.

J.C. also had one goal, well one of many goals to capture one of the adults as they took off in flight.  He accomplished that goal with this picture he took.

I have to go for the weekend, but next time I will share about a very interesting squirrel J.C. saw on his return trip to the nest on 3-13-11 .

Enjoy your weekend!

    Hello!  I wanted to share some pictures of a very interesting squirrel, that J.C. took during his trip back to the eagle's nest on 3-13-11.

He e-mailed me the pictures and told me that things were quiet at the eagle's nest, no one was home.  But, he did see a squirrel that got his attention.

The squirrel was not afraid of the camera, it just stared right at it, he even posed for his close up.

In his e-mail, J.C. joked about the squirrel asking him if he was from the paparazzi.   I thought that the strange looking squirrel was the most unique squirrel I ever saw , it was black and tan with a white face and ears.  I had seen my share of squirrels , but I had never seen one like this one.  It looked like a little bear, especially in the next picture.  This picture shows the moment when the squirrel stared down the camera. 

J.C. also returned in the afternoon on 3-13-11, to capture a picture of the eaglet that is coming up next!

Enjoy!  

   J.C. returned to the eagle's nest the following afternoon and the eaglet was home .  Wow! The little eaglet was getting bigger, and not so little anymore.  I was excited, and I hoped that my pictures would expand beyond the nest and the trees lol .  My goal was to take a picture of the eaglet, and I knew that the eaglet would begin to spend more time out side of the nest, and I could not wait to visit the eagle's nest again .

Here is J.C.'s picture of a bigger eaglet on 3-13-11

Stay Tuned For American Bald Eagle Tales From 2011!

Enjoy!  

   Hello!  I am ready to share pictures from the next American Bald Eagle tale that J.C. experienced .  His next tale took place on the evening of 3-15-11, when he went back to the eagle's nest and saw the eaglet .  Then, he took a picture of the growing eaglet as the eaglet waited for Mama eagle or Papa eagle to come home with some dinner.  The eaglet kept an eye out for them while it stood out on a branch.  So, my dream came true and I was happy when I saw the picture where the eaglet was out of the nest.

J.C.'s first picture of the eaglet out side of its nest.

J.C. also captured how beautiful the evening was before the sun went down for the day in his next view of the eaglet.

After he took pictures of the eaglet, J.C. had his camera ready to take a picture of Mama eagle, as she came in for a landing with a catfish in her sharp talons.

Stay Tuned For More American Bald Eagles Tales From 2011!

Enjoy!

   J.C.'s next tale and the next chapter in the eaglet's life, unfolded on a Friday evening of 3-18-11.  This was an important chapter, because the eaglet had grown its flight feathers and it officially became a fledgling the moment J.C. took this picture of the eaglet as it took its next step and started to get ready to fly.  I was even more excited when I heard the news, because I knew that I would have a chance to capture the fledgling 's moments with my camera.  After I read his e-mail, I am pretty sure I told him that I wanted to go back to the nest.

J.C.'s picture of the eaglet as it became a fledgling and practiced its wing flapping.

Stay Tuned For More American Bald Eagle Tales From 2011!

Enjoy!

   On the Sunday morning of 3-27-11, the next chapter in the young fledgling's life happened.  It was a very special day for J.C. and all of us, especially the fledgling, because on that day she decided to take her first flight!  J.C. started the tale of her (yes we determined from pictures that the fledgling was a girl.)  life with a picture of her while she surveyed the cemetery .

Since it was her first flight, she needed a little encouragement from Mama eagle .  While she started to spread out her wings.

J.C.'s camera was ready and aimed to capture the moment where Mama eagle told her fledgling that it was O.k. and to go for it.

Before she took off the young fledgling replied to her mama, "Here I go mom watch me....."

J.C. had perfect timing and snapped her take off, or pre-take off.

As the fledgling soared for the first time, she thought to herself, ‍Wow this is really fun!  I can fly all around the cemetery now!  I also love hopping from tree to tree!

‍During her first flight, J.C.'s camera never missed a breathtaking moment.

That concluded the morning visit, but J.C. and his wife went back that afternoon and I went back with my mom that evening .

So this was only the beginning of 3-27-11's American Bald Eagle Tale .

Stay Tuned!

Enjoy!

   I am ready to continue the tale from 3-27-11, that happened on that Sunday afternoon, around 3:30 PM my time.  J.C. and his wife returned to the eagle's nest .

Where the fledgling, showed off as it flew from tree to tree.  J.C. thought she was precious, and I did too after I read his second e-mail on that day.

Here is J.C.'s first picture of the young eagle after she

 landed on a tree branch.

J.C.'s second picture was of the young eagle while she started to take off again.

J.C.'s third picture of the young eagle while she was spreading out her wings.

J.C.'s fourth picture of the young eagle as she showed off  her wings and faced his camera.

J.C.'s fifth and final shot of the young eagle while she enjoyed feeling the sun on her wings.

Stay Tuned For One More Visit From 3-27-11 The Evening Tale .

Enjoy!

   J.C.'s side of the tale began with a picture of my mom and I while she was pointing out something to me.

I think she was trying to get me to see one of the eagles, or the young eagle.  I can share it because our backs were to the camera.

I hope this posts,  Stay Tuned! 

Enjoy!

Then, the young eagle started to get all of our attention, and J.C. captured the moment when the young eagle flapped her powerful wings.

I hope this posts, Stay Tuned!

Enjoy!  

J.C. even took a picture of her in mid-air!

Stay Tuned For More From 3-27 11's American Bald Eagle Tale !

Enjoy!

J.C.'s picture of the young eagle as she soared through the air and had fun flying.

Stay Tuned The 3-27-11 Tale Is Almost Done! 

Enjoy!

J.C.also took a picture of the cute and curious cows and calves.

Stay Tuned For The Pictures I Found Of The Cute Brown Calf!

Enjoy!  

I found some other pictures of the cute light brown calf, that I took.  Here is the first one.

Only One More Picture To Go!

Enjoy!   

 Here is the second picture of the cute brown calf, I took two because it was getting dark out.

That was the last picture and the exciting tale from 3-27-11 has come to an end.

Stay Tuned Fo A Few More American Bald Eagle Tales From 2011 !

  Enjoy!  

   Hello!  I have another American Bald Eagle Tale to share from 2011.   On the Thursday following our 3-27-11 tale, there were some very intense thunderstorms.  Mom and I were worried about how the eagle family was doing.  Once the stormy weather cleared out the following day, I sent J.C. an e-mail about the storm and the eagles, I was hoping for news.  His reply made me and my mom feel so much better, when there was a break on 3-31-11 in the evening, J.C. went back to the eagle's nest and he found them all safe and sound in the same tree.  He shared pictures with me to let me see that everything was fine.

Here is J.C.'s first picture of the eagle family.

Here is J.C.'s second picture of our eagle friends.

Something was getting mama and papa's attention.

Here is J.C.'s third and final picture from the evening of 3-31-11, the adults were fending something off, it just was not in the picture.

Even the young eagle looked at what was going on.

Stay Tuned For J.C.s visit to the eagle's nest on the next day, Friday 4-1-11, where the young eagle had a showdown with a crow!

Enjoy! ‍

  Hello again!  I am ready to share the next tale from 2011 that happened on the evening of 4-1-11, when J.C. went back to the nest at around 5 PM my time.

He watched the young eagle as she flew around the peaceful cemetery and enjoyed her evening flight. 

Here is J.C.'s first picture of the young eagle's evening flight .

J.C. just enjoyed the beautiful evening and the sun shine, while he watched the young eagle fly around.

Here is J.C.'s second picture of her flying.

The young eagle was just having fun, enjoying her freedom while she flew.

I thought it was amazing how J.C. captured the detail of the sun hitting her feathers and how it made her look like she was glowing in a way.

Here is J.C.'s third picture.

Then, something happened that seemed to spoil the young eagle's fun, a crow showed up and tried to pick a fight with her.

Here is J.C.'s fourth and final picture of the showdown between the young eagle and the crow. That happened in the air by the way.

I was happy when I read in J.C.'s e-mail that it all worked out, and the young eagle won with no doubt . 

Only one more American Bald Eagle Tale From 2011 Is Left !

The young eagle learned how to hunt , it was one of the final steps in her journey to surviving on her own.

Enjoy! ‍