Every year in the late winter and early spring I try to keep an eye on the nests of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Several of the locations with nests that were used last year apparently are not being this year, but I have repeatedly observed eagle activity at one very large nest at the refuge.
On Monday, I spotted one eagle perched on the edge of that nest and another eagle in a nearby tree keeping watch over the nest. Does that mean that some eggs have hatched? Who knows? The nest is so deep that it is impossible to see what is going on inside of the nest. I watched the nest for quite a while, hoping I might see a tiny head pop up over the edge of the nest, but a baby eagle never appeared
I will continue to monitor this nest and a couple of other potential nesting sites and, with a little luck, may catch a glimpse of some eaglets in the upcoming weeks.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Exciting!!
I am always hopeful as spring draws near (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) that I will see new babies born as nature comes out of dormancy and bursts forth with new life.