On Christmas Eve 2016, I went on an early morning fishing trip with my brother and nephew in the lower delta of Mobile Bay. The fishing wasn't spectacular but we did manage to catch a few speckled trout and two largemouth bass. Whenever I go fishing I usually bring my camera for photo ops during the slow moments of fishing. The pictures here are from the Blakeley, Tensaw, and Raft Rivers of the lower delta, as well as scenes from Daphne and Spanish Fort.

I was really encouraged by the wildlife we saw during the trip. The rivers were active with egrets, herons, terns and both brown and white pelicans. I also saw quite a few osprey, and managed to get a photograph of an osprey with a fish it just caught. At Raft River, several osprey nests can be seen on the power lines along Oak Bayou. There were also two raptors perched in a tree in Daphne that I can't make a firm identification. I believe they could be a pair of some kind of hawk or juvenile bald eagles. There is a bald eagle nest near D'Olive Creek so they could be lingering 1-2 year old juveniles. I lean more to the birds being hawks though. If there are any Bird ID experts out there that have an idea please let me know. The picture in question is second to last in the series.

The highlight of the day was seeing three different adult bald eagles, at least I hope it was three different ones. We saw one at the Tensaw and Apalachee River Confluence. The other was spotted at the Raft River on the power lines, and the last one was spotted on the Blakeley River North of the Causeway.

Blakeley River SunsriseSunrise on the Blakeley River, December 24,2016 Bald Eagle Mobile BayA bald eagle perched on the Tensaw River near the Blakeley State Park, December 24,2016 Royal Tern Tensaw RiverA royal tern dives for fish on the Tensaw River near the Blakeley State Park, December 24,2016 Royal Tern Tensaw RiverA royal tern dives for fish on the Tensaw River near the Blakeley State Park, December 24,2016 Royal Tern Tensaw RiverA royal tern dives for fish on the Tensaw River near the Blakeley State Park, December 24,2016 Royal Tern Tensaw RiverA royal tern dives for fish on the Tensaw River near the Blakeley State Park, December 24,2016 Raft RiverThe bank of the Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Raft RiverThe bank of the Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Osprey in Raft RiverAn osprey secures its fish catch in a tree on Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Osprey in Raft RiverAn osprey secures its fish catch in a tree on Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Osprey in Raft RiverAn osprey secures its fish catch in a tree on Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Raft RiverThe bank of the Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Osprey Nests in Raft RiverOsprey nests on power lines near Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016. There are at least five nests seen in this picture Downtown Mobile From Raft RiverThe view of downtown Mobile as sen from Raft River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Great Egret in Blakeley RiverA great egret perched in a tree on the Blakeley River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Blakeley RiverBlakeley River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Mobile From Blakeley RiverDowntown Mobile, Alabama seen from Blakeley River in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Mobile Bay WildlifeA pair of raptors perched in a tree near Daphne in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016 Mobile Bay WildlifeWhite pelicans and cormorants near Daphne in the lower Mobile Delta December 24,2016