Murphy to Manteo: Finding new adventures, historic detours, and the soul of North Carolina on the state’s longest highway: U.S. Route 64. Read the series.

I’m staring into a pair of binoculars at 7 in the morning, a few hundred feet downstream from the B. Everett Jordan Dam, looking for a golf ball in the trees.

The Haw River flows lazily, and the air is still, but it isn’t quiet. Birds call loudly back and forth overhead and farther down the river, too, where the Haw turns into the Cape Fear. A blue heron flies past the spot where I’m standing with my husband, Alex, and our son, James, who’s strapped to my chest asleep. I offer Alex the binoculars but keep peering at the other side of the river.

The area around B. Everett Jordan Dam is a popular spot to watch for the bald eagles that nest nearby and dive for fish at the tailrace. photograph by J. SILKSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY

“We all of a sudden, like, really committed to this whole bird-watching thing, didn’t we?” he murmurs as he peers through the lenses. “Not that I’m complaining. It just kind of snuck up on me. Get married, have a kid, bam, you’re looking for birds at the crack of dawn —”

“Shhh.” I take the binoculars back, careful not to jostle James. This might have been a little more peaceful without a baby who could wake up at any moment and cry, scaring off every bird within a three-mile radius.

I should probably mention that this “golf ball” we’re looking for has eyes: I’ve read that this is the best way to search for the snowy white head of a bald eagle, which would offer a stark contrast to the tree branches that the bird might be sitting in. Jordan Lake happens to be home to one of the highest concentrations of our national emblem in North Carolina.

“We have 25 bald eagle nests that we know about — that’s 50 year-round residents — and there are probably more. That’s a pretty incredible sight.”

Not that we’re guaranteed a sighting, as we’ve learned. This is the second day in a row that we’ve come to Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in search of the regal raptors. Our first day was spent near the northern end of the lake, where I all but expected a convocation of eagles to welcome us to a stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” After heading home with nary a sighting, I called Jon Bannerman, the natural resources specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates the reservoir in partnership with the State of North Carolina.

“We have 25 bald eagle nests that we know about — that’s 50 year-round residents — and there are probably more,” Bannerman told me. “And that’s not even counting the migratory eagles that pass through in late winter. That’s a pretty incredible sight. When the word gets out, you’ll see photographers early each morning [at the dam]; they’ll take a chair, a blanket, and their coffee. And wait.”

• • •

Less than 50 years ago, there were no eagle nests here — or anywhere else in the state. By the mid-1900s, hunting, habitat destruction, and pesticides like DDT had pushed the species to the brink of extinction in the U.S. But federal laws, citizen conservation efforts, and, ironically, man-made reservoirs have helped make the bald eagle one of our country’s greatest comeback stories.

The birds’ reintroduction in North Carolina in the early ’80s — and their soaring numbers around the state today, particularly at Jordan Lake — is a legacy worthy of pride. According to Bannerman, Jordan Lake may even be approaching eagle capacity.

The eagles’ reintroduction in North Carolina — and their soaring numbers at Jordan Lake — is a legacy worthy of pride.

So here we are again, at a much earlier hour and, on Bannerman’s advice, at the southernmost part of the lake. And we’re waiting. This area near the dam is one of the eagles’ favorite haunts. It’s the place where forest management efforts led to ideal nesting sites. And like the nearby anglers who gather each morning at the Jordan Lake Tailrace to cast a line, the eagles come here to fish.

Finally, we spy our golf ball. In the shadows of the pines and hardwoods across the river, a mature bald eagle perches on an old deadfall sticking up out of the water. He’s breathtaking, and I’m shocked we didn’t see him sooner. His bright yellow beak and talons — wrapped around a branch — are sharp and curved. When he tilts his head, his golden eyes, equal parts cunning and proud, seem to say, “Yes, yes, I noticed you ages ago.”

Who needs a whole convocation? Suddenly, one solitary bald eagle has me certain that no other animal could better represent our country. I’m in awe that this place, just half an hour from our home in Cary, is his safe haven. But right before I pass the binoculars to Alex, a second eagle catches my eye — a mottled brown juvenile sitting on a nearby log. He won’t sport the famous, white-feathered head until he’s around 5 years old. He’s still growing, an icon in the making.

At Jordan Lake, 180 miles of shoreline, shallow waters, and tall loblolly pines provide ideal nesting habitat for at least 50 resident bald eagles — one of the highest concentrations in the state. photograph by Eric Abernethy

Bald eagles generally mate for life and stay in the same nests indefinitely. Each spring, their eaglets fledge but don’t fly away immediately. They stay close throughout the summer, testing their skills, their boundaries. Come fall, some will fly far away. Some will carve out territory close to home. Either way, soon they’ll seek true independence. For now, they spend their days exploring this protected Piedmont paradise.

Eventually, James stirs, and the juvenile spreads his wings and lifts off in search of new adventures. As he takes to the sky, each beat of his wings seems wildly, joyfully free.

B. Everett Jordan Dam and Lake
2080 Jordan Dam Road
Moncure, NC 27559
(919) 542-4501

More to Explore: Find our guide to bird-watching and other outdoor adventures on Jordan Lake at ourstate.com/jordanlakeguide.