Bald Eagle

This afternoon (February 19) I went to Lake Brandt to check on the status of our Bald Eagle pair, and I'm pleased to report that two very healthy-looking chicks were active in the nest. One of the parents was perched nearby, keeping an eye on the eaglets. I estimate that the chicks are two to three weeks old. -- Lynn

The eagle pair is back in residence at the nest they've used for the past several years on Lake Brandt. In late December, they were very active in and around their nest, and, while my husband and I watched for about 45 minutes, spent most of the time close together as they moved back and forth from the nest to nearby trees. Hopefully we'll see positive results from the pair soon, as egg-laying should begin in January.

April, 2008
The Bald Eagles at Lake Brandt continue on their nest. Observations this year have been complicated by the fact that the front of the nest is now so high that it is often impossible to see an incubating or brooding adult. On April 6, I went out to the nest area with Neil Thompson, Lake Warden, in his boat. After idling quietly in front of the nest for a couple of minutes and seeing nothing, we were surprised to see an adult pop up from the center of the nest all of a sudden. The bird checked us out and then resumed whatever it was doing (incubating? brooding a chick?). Time will tell, hopefully quite soon, if eaglets have been successfully produced this year.
In other news, Club members were delighted to confirm the presence of a second eagle nest in Guilford County. On March 3, Henry Link and I, along with Marvin Morales, my current Ornithology Lab Assistant, observed an incubating adult in a nest at the northeast corner of High Point City Lake. Unfortunately, this pair was disturbed by severe weather the next week, and the nest was damaged. However, on March 19, an adult was still present in the nest. It was very agitated when we approached, and therefore, we left after just a brief observation of 2-3 minutes. Such behavior sometimes occurs when eggs hatch. I haven't checked on that pair since mid-March, but will report the results later.

Apr. 23, 2007
     As of mid-April, two very large eaglets were still in the nest, but practicing their flying skills and preparing for departure. Fledging should occur before this newsletter reaches club members, but the young birds will remain in the immediate area of the nest for some weeks to come.
                                      -Lynn Moseley
Jan. 8, 2007
     The Bald Eagle pair is back on territory and is apparently intending to use the same nest at the edge of Lake Brandt again this year. Last year, the first egg was laid between the 21st and 24th of January.
                                      -Lynn Moseley
4/18/06
     For the second year in a row, three eaglets have successfully hatched from the nest at Lake Brandt. Hatching occurred on approximately February 25, in the nest that has been used for three years in a row. The three young eagles are now well on their way through the 10-week nestling period. Lou Skrabec took the family portrait above on April 8th.                                         -Lynn Moseley
1/15/06
The pair of eagles has been sighted several times since December in the area of the nest, and has been seen in the nest itself (the same nest as they've used for the past two years). The birds seem to be on schedule for a successful breeding season.                                       -Lynn Moseley
4/21/05
   Very exciting news!! Lynn Moseley reports that the Bald Eagles have hatched an unprecedented three chicks approximately February 15^th! Triplets are not unheard of in the Bald Eagle world, but the first time here. The eaglets, all three, were last observed April 20^th.
1/26/05
     Lynn Moseley reports that the Bald Eagles have returned to their nest at Lake Brandt and have improved it. We are hoping for another fertile and successful year for them!
3/31/04
Two eaglets, hatched between February 15 and 18, are in the nest and growing fast. They are already quite large. This is the first year since 1999 that the Greensboro pair has produced two offspring.                                            -Lynn Moseley
2/14/04
On a trip to the Greensboro Lakes, club members were thrilled to see the Bald Eagles, on on the nest and one in a tree nearby. The female appears to be sitting on an egg. Melissa Whitmire took the above pictures a few days later.
1/5/04
Yes, I do have eagle news! On Monday (Jan. 5), Carolyn Allen and I went out to Lake Brandt and confirmed the presence of two adult Bald Eagles and a "new-and-improved" nest! The nest is the same one they used last year (in a pine tree on the far side of the lake) but has been enlarged so that it is noticeably bigger now. No eggs have yet been laid; we're still about a month away from that event.                           -Lynn Moseley
9/3/03
Lynn Moseley was thrilled to report that “our” Bald Eagles successfully raised one baby, which fledged. This is a great event after several years of no eaglets.
4/24/03
   We were very excited when Lynn Moseley announced at the PBC meeting that she has seen one baby eagle in the eagles' nest!
3/20/03
   Lynn Moseley announced at the last bird club meeting that while on a helicopter survey of the Lake Brandt area, she was able to spot the eagles’ new nest (with one eagle in it) in the top of a pine tree near Lake Brandt. This is very exciting and we hope for a successful outcome this year!
2/4/03
The pair of eagles have been seen frequently in the Lake Higgins and Lake Brandt areas, but so far no new nesting sites have been spotted.
3/28/02
Here's the latest eagle news: On March 28, Don Allen and I, along with Neil Thompson, one of the rangers at Lake Brandt, took a boat out to the northwest part of the lake to look for the Bald Eagle nest. We located an inactive nest in a tall pine tree, presumably built earlier this year, but with no sign of successful nesting.
The good news is that, in the same part of Lake Brandt, we discovered two pairs of Great Blue Herons nesting in bald cypress trees.
2/20/02
This eagles have been seen around Lake Higgins and Lake Brandt, but so far have not been seen to be nesting.
1/1/01
On October 23, with the help of Jim Millican, neighbor to the Bald Eagle nest at Lake Higgins, and Rob Rogg, a Greensboro tree surgeon and former Alaska naturalist, we installed an artificial nest platform 50 feet up the white oak tree that was the site of the original Bald Eagle nest. The platform consists of a series of 2x4's in a triangular shape, with 6" boards against the back side of the base to form a low "backstop." We placed a few branches from the old nest on the platform -- just to give the eagles a hint! Pictures were taken during and after the construction process, and I'll bring some to the next meeting.
      As of late November, eagles had been observed at Lake Higgins a couple of times, but no nesting activity has occurred yet. One of the real attractions of Lake Higgins for these birds is the small trout pond located near the marina. Once trout are stocked (usually in early November), the eagles appear regularly in the early mornings to feed, before the gates open to the public. Un-fortunately, recent warm weather has delayed the stocking of the pond, since trout require water temperatures below 55 degrees. It may be that the success of our new nest depends on the presence of trout in the Lake Higgins pond.
      As far as I know, this is the first artificial nest platform for Bald Eagles in North Carolina. I estimate that there is a 50/50 chance that the birds will accept this site. So keep your fingers crossed, and stay tuned!


Bald Eagle Pair Portrait 11/28/08 Guilford County, NC photo © by Lou Skrabec	May, 2007 Portage, AK photo © 2007 by Ron Morris

Lake Higgins, Greensboro, NC photo © by Jason Gould	Bald Eagle Family Portrait 4/08/06 Guilford County, NC photo by Lou Skrabec

Immature photo © 2007 by Dennis Burnette
EAGLE UPDATES A pair of Bald Eagles has been nesting in Guilford County, NC, for a number of years. Lynn J. Moseley, Ph.D., a past president of our club, is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology at Guilford College has made these eagles a special project of hers since they have been here. Following are updates on their nesting and breeding activities.
February, 2010 This afternoon (February 19) I went to Lake Brandt to check on the status of our Bald Eagle pair, and I'm pleased to report that two very healthy-looking chicks were active in the nest. One of the parents was perched nearby, keeping an eye on the eaglets. I estimate that the chicks are two to three weeks old. -- Lynn January, 2009 The eagle pair is back in residence at the nest they've used for the past several years on Lake Brandt. In late December, they were very active in and around their nest, and, while my husband and I watched for about 45 minutes, spent most of the time close together as they moved back and forth from the nest to nearby trees. Hopefully we'll see positive results from the pair soon, as egg-laying should begin in January. April, 2008 The Bald Eagles at Lake Brandt continue on their nest. Observations this year have been complicated by the fact that the front of the nest is now so high that it is often impossible to see an incubating or brooding adult. On April 6, I went out to the nest area with Neil Thompson, Lake Warden, in his boat. After idling quietly in front of the nest for a couple of minutes and seeing nothing, we were surprised to see an adult pop up from the center of the nest all of a sudden. The bird checked us out and then resumed whatever it was doing (incubating? brooding a chick?). Time will tell, hopefully quite soon, if eaglets have been successfully produced this year. In other news, Club members were delighted to confirm the presence of a second eagle nest in Guilford County. On March 3, Henry Link and I, along with Marvin Morales, my current Ornithology Lab Assistant, observed an incubating adult in a nest at the northeast corner of High Point City Lake. Unfortunately, this pair was disturbed by severe weather the next week, and the nest was damaged. However, on March 19, an adult was still present in the nest. It was very agitated when we approached, and therefore, we left after just a brief observation of 2-3 minutes. Such behavior sometimes occurs when eggs hatch. I haven't checked on that pair since mid-March, but will report the results later. Apr. 23, 2007 As of mid-April, two very large eaglets were still in the nest, but practicing their flying skills and preparing for departure. Fledging should occur before this newsletter reaches club members, but the young birds will remain in the immediate area of the nest for some weeks to come. -Lynn Moseley Jan. 8, 2007 The Bald Eagle pair is back on territory and is apparently intending to use the same nest at the edge of Lake Brandt again this year. Last year, the first egg was laid between the 21st and 24th of January. -Lynn Moseley 4/18/06 For the second year in a row, three eaglets have successfully hatched from the nest at Lake Brandt. Hatching occurred on approximately February 25, in the nest that has been used for three years in a row. The three young eagles are now well on their way through the 10-week nestling period. Lou Skrabec took the family portrait above on April 8th. -Lynn Moseley 1/15/06 The pair of eagles has been sighted several times since December in the area of the nest, and has been seen in the nest itself (the same nest as they've used for the past two years). The birds seem to be on schedule for a successful breeding season. -Lynn Moseley 4/21/05 Very exciting news!! Lynn Moseley reports that the Bald Eagles have hatched an unprecedented three chicks approximately February 15^th! Triplets are not unheard of in the Bald Eagle world, but the first time here. The eaglets, all three, were last observed April 20^th. 1/26/05 Lynn Moseley reports that the Bald Eagles have returned to their nest at Lake Brandt and have improved it. We are hoping for another fertile and successful year for them! 3/31/04 Two eaglets, hatched between February 15 and 18, are in the nest and growing fast. They are already quite large. This is the first year since 1999 that the Greensboro pair has produced two offspring. -Lynn Moseley 2/14/04 On a trip to the Greensboro Lakes, club members were thrilled to see the Bald Eagles, on on the nest and one in a tree nearby. The female appears to be sitting on an egg. Melissa Whitmire took the above pictures a few days later. 1/5/04 Yes, I do have eagle news! On Monday (Jan. 5), Carolyn Allen and I went out to Lake Brandt and confirmed the presence of two adult Bald Eagles and a "new-and-improved" nest! The nest is the same one they used last year (in a pine tree on the far side of the lake) but has been enlarged so that it is noticeably bigger now. No eggs have yet been laid; we're still about a month away from that event. -Lynn Moseley 9/3/03 Lynn Moseley was thrilled to report that “our” Bald Eagles successfully raised one baby, which fledged. This is a great event after several years of no eaglets. 4/24/03 We were very excited when Lynn Moseley announced at the PBC meeting that she has seen one baby eagle in the eagles' nest! 3/20/03 Lynn Moseley announced at the last bird club meeting that while on a helicopter survey of the Lake Brandt area, she was able to spot the eagles’ new nest (with one eagle in it) in the top of a pine tree near Lake Brandt. This is very exciting and we hope for a successful outcome this year! 2/4/03 The pair of eagles have been seen frequently in the Lake Higgins and Lake Brandt areas, but so far no new nesting sites have been spotted. 3/28/02 Here's the latest eagle news: On March 28, Don Allen and I, along with Neil Thompson, one of the rangers at Lake Brandt, took a boat out to the northwest part of the lake to look for the Bald Eagle nest. We located an inactive nest in a tall pine tree, presumably built earlier this year, but with no sign of successful nesting. The good news is that, in the same part of Lake Brandt, we discovered two pairs of Great Blue Herons nesting in bald cypress trees. 2/20/02 This eagles have been seen around Lake Higgins and Lake Brandt, but so far have not been seen to be nesting. 1/1/01 On October 23, with the help of Jim Millican, neighbor to the Bald Eagle nest at Lake Higgins, and Rob Rogg, a Greensboro tree surgeon and former Alaska naturalist, we installed an artificial nest platform 50 feet up the white oak tree that was the site of the original Bald Eagle nest. The platform consists of a series of 2x4's in a triangular shape, with 6" boards against the back side of the base to form a low "backstop." We placed a few branches from the old nest on the platform -- just to give the eagles a hint! Pictures were taken during and after the construction process, and I'll bring some to the next meeting. As of late November, eagles had been observed at Lake Higgins a couple of times, but no nesting activity has occurred yet. One of the real attractions of Lake Higgins for these birds is the small trout pond located near the marina. Once trout are stocked (usually in early November), the eagles appear regularly in the early mornings to feed, before the gates open to the public. Un-fortunately, recent warm weather has delayed the stocking of the pond, since trout require water temperatures below 55 degrees. It may be that the success of our new nest depends on the presence of trout in the Lake Higgins pond. As far as I know, this is the first artificial nest platform for Bald Eagles in North Carolina. I estimate that there is a 50/50 chance that the birds will accept this site. So keep your fingers crossed, and stay tuned!