Eagles of Hard Labor Creek Reservoir

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation.

​Proverbs 30:18-19 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a virgin.

A young Bald Eagle soaring over the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir in Walton County, Georgia.

Wednesday, 12:36 PM - being off at noon for Thanksgiving Eve, I decided to visit the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir. The reservoir opened in March 2018. It is in the southeastern unincorporated region of Walton County, Georgia, near both Social Circle. Over the last few months, I've had several people tell me that they'd heard about Bald Eagles regularly appearing there. I had to go and see for myself. 

A Double-crested Cormorant diving out in the open waters of the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir.

Being a large 1,370 acre area, there was no telling where the Bald Eagles would be, if there at all. I parked near the small fire station and walked down to the boat ramp. A little Grebe swam off to my right. Cormorants could be seen fishing in the distance. And amazingly, I didn't have to wait too long, two young Bald Eagles circled the skies just above the bridge. 

Bald Eagle 1 on Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir.

Bald Eagle 2 on Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir.

​If I had not seen the two at one time, I might have thought there was only one individual. It took some time to compare the splotches of white in the photographs to tell these individuals apart. ​

A Pied-billed Grebe swimming on a Georgia lake in fall season, 2018. Hard Labor Creek Reservoir in Walton County, Social Circle, GA. The pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps is a species of duck like water birds. Other names of this grebe include American dabchick, dabchick, Carolina grebe, devil-diver, dive-dapper, dipper, hell-diver, pied-billed dabchick, pied-bill, thick-billed grebe, and water witch.

Pied-billed Grebe on Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir; Walton County, Georgia.

Pied-billed Grebe on Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir; Walton County, Georgia.

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Thursday, November 29 - a made another quick lunch-break trip down to the reservoir. I didn't see any of the eagles this time, but the firefighters at the fire station said they've seen two white-headed adults in addition to the immature birds I saw last week. I think I will recommend this location as an eBird Hot Spot!

Cloud cover moved in around noon. High near 56. Calm wind.
Sunrise Today:7:18 am; Sunset Today: 5:24 pm
Daylight Hours: 10 hours, 5 minutes (-1m 4s)
Moon: 54% Waning Gibbous