Banded
It began with a walk into the woods.
Securing my old, well-worn yet reliable folding stool over my shoulder and carrying zoomer in one hand, I pressed the binoculars against my chest to prevent them from being an annoyance as I stepped over downed limbs and debris.
I have been sitting in the woods a lot. Watching and waiting. Seeing and believing but no longer sitting at the edge of the clearing, I have secured a new spot in the woods to observe the Eagles. For now, since there are no leaves to obstruct my view, it makes it easier to see the trees across from the nest clearly. It also affords me a perfect view of the adults as they fly in and out of the nest during the incubation period of 35 days.
So I sat and waited.
Then the early morning silence was broken by the sudden twittering, soon to be followed by two squawks coming from the nest. Looking in the direction of the nest and hearing more assertive twittering, I spotted the cause. A Red-Tail Hawk had landed on top of the dead pine directly across from the nest. However, the squawking and twittering apparently urged the hawk to move on because it wasn't there long.
The other adult Bald Eagle flew in from the NE, immediately heading to the nest to take its turn with incubation duties causing the mate to exit the nest. Landing in the dead pine, it gave me a clear shot. I took several and upon reviewing the photos, I couldn't wait to share them with DEEP as part of my weekly observation report.
It was BANDED!
After four years..FOUR YEARS...I now have photos proving that this pair is BANDED because the following morning, I once again headed into the woods. This sighting was even more exciting because as one adult flew into the nest vicinity, it landed on the lower branches of the dead pine. Meanwhile, when the mate exited the nest, it perched at the tippy top of the tree!
Knowing I would rely on the experts for help, now my observations needed some clarification.
Sharing with you and those at
Remember, if you see a BANDED bird, get a photo and report it to your local Wildlife Division.
It matters.
Please refer to the following link for additional information.
"... These eagle banders rely on YOU, the bird-watching public, to spot and report sightings of banded eagles. These sightings are used in eagle research to track eagle movements, monitor survival rates, and causes of mortality...."
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