Bald Eagles At Sunset.

The huge bird circled the pine tree that contained the nest, flying low as it passed over my head. I could hear its left wing which occasionally struck the dead pine branch it clutched with yellow talons. Finally the magnificent bird alighted next to its mate, which seemed to be anxiously waiting for that particular dead Iimb. As I watched, both birds simultaneously grasped the small limb with huge hooked bills pulling in opposite directions, finally deciding on a particular spot for it at the edge of the nest. Once the dead pine branch had been deposited to their satisfaction, they raised their white crowned heads and clicked bills in a greeting ritual. It was nest building and refurbishing time for a pair of Florida bald eagles that had courted and started this nest the previous year. In mid October, they arrived from the north about a week apart. This pair, like so many other southern bald eagles, may have migrated as far north as Canada since their departure in late July. Many friends of mine are people who enjoy the outdoor activities Florida offers. Some have lived in Florida all their lives and have enjoyed the fine fishing and hunting that the state has to offer. Some are newcomers to Florida, drawn by the ideal climate and its boundless fresh water lakes and salt water lagoons. Others like myself are photographers and environmentalists that enjoy the areas in Florida that remain in a primitive state. Whatever a person's background and interests, all seem to have a common denominator so to speak. When outdoor people get together stories flow, of the huge fish that got away, deer with record racks, and other phenomena that they have witnessed. With this in mind, I was very skeptical when some old fishing buddies reported two bald eagles that were building a nest a few miles from my home. Weeks passed before I gave it any further thought, believing that they had mistaken nesting ospreys for the endangered birds. One hot July afternoon I drove to the area they described and there in a fork of a live pine tree was a nest that had all the characteristics of having been constructed by bald eagles. I visited the site several times after that and no birds were sighted. If eagles had been present, they had already started their northern migration. Ospreys normally build their nests in dead trees, but occasionally use a live pine tree, so I didn't completely rule out ospreys as the builders of the nest.

Help Mates. In late September of that same year I made a determined effort to check on the nest several times a week. Finally in mid October I hit the jackpot, the eagles returned to the nest site, and here's the rest of the story. The nest site was approximately eighty yards from a moderately used paved road in north Brevard County, Florida. The geographic location made it ideal for observing and photographing the birds from the interior of my van. Through the remainder of October and into November I patiently waited for this pair of bald eagles to get down to the business of raising a family. Day after day I waited as they went about the task of rebuilding last year's nest. Bald eagles defy predictability in their day to day behavior and mating habits. Unlike most birds that work feverishly building a nest in a matter of days, nest building to the bald eagle is not a serious matter. Some days the two might labor all day carrying hundreds of sticks and limbs to the nest. The next day, caring less about nest building, would find them way from the nest and the pair could be seen hunting or sitting in some far off dead tree watching the world go by. On many mornings the pair would make thirty or forty flights bringing dead sticks and twigs to the nest, working as if there was no tomorrow, then suddenly stop and after a short rest, take off for some far destination. On many mornings they would spiral up into the sky in lazy flight with no obvious objective other than to enjoy flying.

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