Island Neighbors

We have a new family at the lake. Wanna' meet them?

See that island on the right?

Notice the big nest.

Try now.
See them? Bald Eagles! One is flying, One perched on a branch to the right, and the nest is below the tip of the right wing of the bird that is flying.

You can click on the photo to see it larger but I didn't bring the right camera lens, so these shots are already zoomed up quite a bit . . . Sorry . . . I'll do my best to get better photos next week.

Here is a closer (and fuzzier) shot of the nest.

Can you see the black spots in the nest? They have TWO LITTLE CHICKS! The chicks already look enormous. Statistically speaking eagle babies are the fastest growing birds. I believe it - these guys look as if they could swoop down and grab my little 6 pound dog for their lunch. That is, if they could fly. They are standing in the nest right now, but not venturing out onto the edge yet. When they do take flight I'm sure it will be spectacular. I can't wait! (but I will keep an extra eye on the pup)

This is our third year watching this particular bald eagle. Year 1 he (she?) was a juvenile (almost all brown) and we discovered him when my daughter picked up his feather while on the island. Year 2 he found a mate and built this nest, but as soon as the boat traffic picked up around Memorial Day, they abandoned it. We spotted them a few times, but never on the island.

They really are majestic birds. It is no wonder they were chosen as our national emblem. (Ben Franklin was just plain wrong - can you imagine being the nation of the turkey? No thanks.)

It is such a great experience to catch sight of a Bald Eagle, but to see them nesting is nothing short of amazing. Talk about being blessed!