This spring, BirdWatching reader Marian McSherry has had a front-row seat to watch the nesting cycle of America’s national bird, the Bald Eagle.
Marian lives in North Cape May, New Jersey. A friend of hers in Cape May is the owner and caretaker of property where a pair of eagles has nested for the last four years. The owner gave her permission to photograph the birds on a daily basis, and she has done just that.
She first noticed the adults on March 30.
“The female has a federal band, which I reported,” Marian says. “She was tagged in 2013 in West Cape May. The male is the smaller of the two. After spotting them together, I noticed one or the other took turns sitting on the nest, which was about 6 feet across high up in a tree.”
Their two eggs hatched on April 1. From her regular vantage point, the chicks were first visible on April 6. We’ll let her photos pick up the story from there.
Day 6 (April 6)
Marian’s first sighting of the eaglets.
Day 7 (April 7)
According to Wikipedia, a young eaglet can gain up to 170 g (6.0 oz) a day, the fastest growth rate of any North American bird. Here are more facts about Bald Eagle nestlings from Journey North.
Day 15 (April 15)
A parent feeds one of the chicks. The parents brought fish and rabbits back to the nest to feed the youngsters.
