Baby Eagle Sighting?

A sharp-eyed neighbor sent the following report on the Bald Eagle Family nesting at the Talaris wetlands (kitty-corner to the Hospital):

"[twelve] days ago, my daughter and I saw the mother and baby flying between our house and the hospital. Last week, the baby was flying solo.

That baby eagle was very white and working hard to keep up with the mother. After a brief rest, she made the baby fly some more. The solo flight was much more assured in the way it flew."

Let's get these magnificent neighbors covered in the Hospital's EIS!

Update: Another neighbor just sent the following caveat:

"I have been watching this nest building activity since it began in early January and was prompted to read a little about eagle nesting behavior. The Audubon web site is a typically good start. I would guess, as an amateur birder and casual observer, that this pair has not yet produced chicks and we still have that thrilling event to look forward to.

A summary of their breeding activity includes the following information; nest building takes anywhere from 1-3 months, eggs are laid usually near the end of February, incubation of the eggs takes 35 days, and new eagles do not fly until they are 10-12 weeks old. The Talaris eagles do not yet seem to sitting on the nest nearly constantly as is required for incubation of eggs. Perhaps May would be the time to expect sightings of young eagles learning to fly.

Just one more reason why our neighborhood is special and deserving of everyone's efforts in maintaining its character."

Update 3/21/08: Another neighbor kindly shared a new photograph of the eagles sitting on their nest. Click on it to enlarge:

The Bald Eagles Have Landed

Two sunbathing beauties hung out near their nest yesterday. They had many admirers.

The eagles' nest is located in the Talaris wetlands, the parcel of land directly south of Laurelon and kitty-corner to the Hospital's SW corner.

And yet the Hospital's EIS claims:

"(ii) Unique Species -- Not reviewed; none reasonable [sic] expected to exist on site."

More pictures of the nest are here. Double-click on any photo to make it larger. Note the location of the existing hospital relative to the nest and eagles can be seen in in the photo below.

Nesting Neighbors: EIS Ignores Nesting Bald Eagles.

Apparently, the Hospital's EIS consultants didn't dig too deeply into biological impacts. Section (d), "Plants and Animals," reads:

(i) Habitat -- Not reviewed; only usual urban birds can be reasonably expected on site.
(ii) Unique Species -- Not reviewed; none reasonable [sic] expected to exist on site.

It just so happens that a pair of bald eagles has been nesting next door to the Hospital since roughly Fall 2007. Not coincidentally, the eagles started building their nest roughly when the Hospital's well-drilling project ended. Perhaps they didn't find the reverberating clanging welcoming?

We respectfully suggest to the Hospital that the threatened species nesting next door deserves consideration in the Hospital's Environmental Impact Statement.

If you'd like to see your wide-wing-spanned neighbors, go to the intersection of Surber and 41st Street, just west of the western entrance to the Talaris Institute (the site of many CAC meetings).

Sorry, we only have nest photos thus far, not eagle photos. If you're a more dedicated photographer, please send us your shots.