When I watched a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) fly into a nest on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I was not sure if it was occupied. We have reached the time of the year when the eagles at this refuge begin to sit on their eggs, but I did not know if the process had begun at this small nest that was used for the first time last year. As you can see in the first photo, the nest is only about as wide as the eagle’s outstretched wings.
After the eagle had landed and settled down, the body of a second eagle appeared from within the nest. I never did get a good look at the second eagle, because it kept its head down as it made some adjustments in the nest while the newly arrived eagle waited patiently to take over nest responsibilities.
One eagle flew away and the remaining one sank lower from view as it spread its body to cover the eggs. The nest is quite shallow, though, so I could still see the top of the eagle’s head most of the time. Occasionally the eagle would raise its head a little and I was able to capture a few shots like the final one here in which the eagle was looking up into the sky, wondering perhaps when its mate would return to the nest.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 