Daily Bird: January 17

Bald Eagle in its nest tree along the Salt River, 2/17/12.

Thanks to info from a fellow birder/eagle fan, I was able to locate this nest today. It is on Indian tribal land across the Salt River from one of the Tonto National Forest rec sites. It took a little hiking, but I was thrilled to finally spot it.

This photo is from a different angle -- you can just make out the shape of one eaglet's head above the nest. I was told there are two eaglets in there, but the other must have been hiding behind the twigs.

Although they are no longer "endangered", Bald Eagles still enjoy special federal status, and their immediate nesting areas are protected by law. So getting this much of a (legal) view was a real treat for me!

 

Comments

[Sue]

Wow, up-close and personal. Looks great!

[luanne]

Thanks! Yay for zoom lenses, these are at 300mm and then still cropped quite a bit. The tree is quite a distance away from the hiking trail, so with naked eye, you can only make out the distant form of the eagle & the indistinct bulk of the nest. One of these weeks I hope to rent a better longer lens to get a closer, clearer view.