I was excited to spot this juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting up in the big nest at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Monday. I assume that this eaglet was born this spring, based on its coloration and markings.
Earlier this spring I had noted eagle activity around this nest and thought that the nesting process had already begun long ago. However, this nest is very large and so high up that it is impossible to tell when the eagles began to sit on the egg or eggs. I checked my blog postings from the past and saw that I posted a shot of eaglets at this same nest on 19 May last year (see the posting Eagle nest update in May), so things seem to be following the same approximate schedule.
I saw only a single eaglet this time, but will continue to monitor the nest for more eaglet activity, including indications that there is more than one eaglet. Earlier on the same day I spotted an adult eagle perched in a tulip tree—you can actually see some of the “tulips”— adjacent to the nest and suspect that this is one of the parents keeping an eye on the eaglet(s). I included a shot below of the presumed proud parent as a final photo.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful pictures – thank you for sharing your experience!
Marvellous!
This is a bonanza of spring joy, Mike. How thrilling to spot this beautiful juvenile. Juvenile bald eagles are in themselves a triumph, considering how endangered this species was not that long ago. Both photos are really lovely. I clicked on both and was delighted to see the fierce talons of the adult. And your photo with the juvenile was great for highlighting the cross-section of that magnificent nest.
Thanks for your kind words, Jet. It is always special to see bald eagles, particularly because I remember so well when DDT and other pesticides caused the eagle population to be threatened. Now I am blessed to see eagles fairly regularly. It is especially cool to see the young ones. i.e. when they still have dark heads–they remind me of the distant past when I was still able to grow hair on the top of my head. 🙂
I love seeing the eaglet, Mike. Great photo.
That yellow poplar flower is a nice touch to the eagle portrait! Reminds me of a hibiscus in a Hawaiian portrait!!
Wow.. it’s utterly wild for me to see an eagle in a tulip tree! ~and I’m startled at how well the young one has already perfected the fearsome face 😀
We have quite a few tulip trees in our area and they can grow to be really big, up to 60 meters tall. As for the “look” of the young eagle–I think the large hooked beak really helps to make the eagle look intense and fierce. 🙂
Very Nice Mike! Always fun to photograph Eagles!!