Snap, Crackle, Pop: Bald Eagle Nest Building

Eagle flyby

I realize I’ve gotten a bit behind on my blog. Today is the first day of summer and I’m still going on about nest building! At this point, I’m sure there are not so little baby eagles and herons testing their wings for flight. Oh well, I’m going to stay stuck in spring for a couple more posts and then move on to the epic flowers that are sure to happen after all the rain we’ve had this spring.

This spring I’d been so excited by all the heron nests easily accessible around town that I hadn’t given the eagles much thought. All that changed one morning as I heard a snap, crackle, pop and looked overhead to see a bald eagle flying through the air with his prize held tightly between his talons. Midflight, he grasped this twig and tore it from a tree and kept on flying right over my head! I was amazed and then started wondering what would happen if he bit off more than he can chew? Has an eagle ever tried this maneuver and then been stopped midflight by a branch not breaking and tumbled ungracefully to the ground or into a tree? I’ll probably never know…it’s a bit like the question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to see it, did it really happen?” Either way, it was a great experience!

An eagle grabs a stick off a tree for nest building.

A close encounter with a bald eagle.

Nest Building

As he flew on, I kept watching him as he headed directly back to the nest to deliver his prize to his eagerly awaiting mate. This nest has been used in previous years, but much like our own homes, it apparently needed a little TLC and upkeep. For more information on bald eagles and their nesting behavior check out All About Birds.

A male bald eagle brings a stick back to the female eagle waiting in the nest.

A male eagle finds just the right spot to place the stick.

The male bald eagle worked diligently, bringing home stick after stick. He tore a couple more sticks off midflight and even grabbed some easier sticks from the ground. The female held the fort and supervised his efforts. Her hard work was going to come soon when she laid her eggs and had to sit on the nest and feed her eaglets.

The male eagle tries to move a stick attached to the tree it’s nesting in.

Mink

My early morning adventure wasn’t over yet. As I was heading back to the car, I spotted this mink making her way back to shore. It was quite a day for animal spotting!

A mink swims to shore.