A pair (or pairs) of Bald Eagles have nested on Conn Island, just
upriver from Great Falls, for a decade or more. About five years ago, the
original nest, in a huge Sycamore tree on the Maryland side of the island
was damaged when part of the tree fell off. The eagles responded by
building another new nest at the lower tip of Conn Island (visible from
both sides of the river) and have successfully raised chicks there every
year since.
Last June 29, the huge windstorm we had, destroyed that nest as well (this
year�s chicks were safely fledged by then).
This morning as the regular Sunday birding group at Great Falls, Virginia
was winding up our walk, we spotted one, then two, adult bald eagles flying
toward the tip of the island. Soon both eagles were just soaring above the
end of the island in the bright sunlight.
At about that point, I noticed that one of the eagles was carrying a tree
branch with some leaves on it. I assumed this could be nesting material.
Then, that same eagle descended, with the tree branch, onto a branch-point
in a large oak tree. Soon after, the other eagle flew over to the same
location in the oak tree.
When we checked in a spotting scope, we could see that the birds appeared
to be building another nest in this oak tree. The new nest tree is very
near where the old one, lost in June, was located. If this does become
the eagle�s new active nest, it will be easy to see from the Virginia shore
of the Potomac. The birds will have about 4 months to complete the nest
before their usual nesting time in February.
Hopefully, they will continue working on this nest and not try to rebuild
in another, less visible, location. We�ll be keeping an eye on the
progress as we can.
--
Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Va.
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Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Va.
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