Wind is natural, right?

Except for today’s wind.  Around 2 o’clock it was mostly from the west, gusting from the 20s into the 40 MPH range and one recorded as high as 57 MPH!  So, I made the obligatory trek out to the Sodus Point Lighthouse.

It was gusty enough to blow lake water onto the shore — and cold enough to freeze it, so I didn’t have to worry flying sand damaging the camera or lens. . .but I kept the UV filter on and wrapped up the lens barrel just in case.

3000mm of zoom!  Thank you, Nikon!

Sodus Point has two lighthouses, but its most attractive feature — to me, anyway — is its eagle’s nest.  This is the second year I’ve seen eagles here.  The nest is right on the edge of the tree line hugging the lake shore, probably not more than a mile east of the lighthouse. It is protected by a 1000-foot no-trespass zone established by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation.  The DEC are pretty powerful when it comes to eagles, because they also issued a cease-and-desist order to a local developer, upon whose land the eagles have made their home.  They even made HIM bulldoze around the safe-zone perimeter to discourage photographers and other foot traffic.  Their order is good for 5 years, at which time it will be reviewed by the DEC and a new ruling issued if need be.  So, this nesting area (and its nest!) are safe until at least 2024.

View from the street — that p1000 is great! (but only when it works — which, due to its small sensor and contrast AF, usually happens only on bright, sunny days)

Eagles have been hanging around all winter here —  this part of the lake, unlike the bay, never froze over during the winter, and fishing must have been pretty good.  In the past few weeks I’ve seen an eagle pair near and sometimes in the nest, but today they are wise to keep their heads low in the nest and allow its strong walls to protect them from the winds.

One day I heard this young miss calling to a prospective mate, but it appears to have been in vain — her intended was a fairly young, white-speckled juvie, who did not return her solicitations in kind.

Not to worry, though.  The amorous miss readily found another, more suitable partner

Now, if you travel a bit further east — OK, OK, a LOT further east, you may come across this eagle pair in another side-of-the-road nest.  The missus has been sitting for the last few days, so I suspect there are eggs — a happy sign of spring!