The Eagle's Nest

When I snapped this photo, it was still winter but I began to realize that

Spring was on it's way!! I am so fortunate that with high powered binoculars

I can spy on an eagle's nest across the pond, through my picture window.

In the Spring, they begin to rebuild their nest, carrying twigs picked up from

blow down or bare spots in the yard.

Their nest is almost all the way up in a tall pine tree

and it is huge!!

My fisherman feeds them throughout the winter months with fish he has

caught - he leaves them in the same spot everyday and we can watch

them swoop down onto the ice, retrieve them and carry off to share and eat.

We cannot tell which eagle is which, as adult eagles look the same,

with the female usually being the larger of the two, however

we rarely see them both at the same time up close.

There he (or she) goes, after a meal of fresh fish!

I find it so fascinating to watch these once nearly extinct birds.

They are so graceful and predictable!

Eagles mate for life

Once Mama has laid her eggs, they take turns incubating

and will not leave the nest until the eggs hatch.

This takes approximately 30-36 days.

Both eagles gather food!

A couple of years in a row we've had severe snow storms

in April and the nest was never abandoned!

I watch that nest until I can see their little heads peeking up

and continue to watch as they learn to fly!!

After the fledgelings hatch, it takes about 10-12 weeks

before they leave the nest for the first time.

I've been watching this same pair of eagles for 6 years.

They have raised twins for the past 3 years.