Another Bald Eagle nest near our Illinois home!

[NewMexiKen]

Our daughter's family's Batavia, Illinois home is in the flight path of a pair of Bald Eagles, as they return with prey from Nelson Lake, about two miles west of their home. They are known to be nesting on the Mooseheart school compound, but I did not know the location of the nest and assumed it was hidden by trees on the property, which is posted. On a brief bird walk in Hawk's Bluff Park, about 4 doors from their home I happened to look across Randall Road and saw a lone adult Bald Eagle roosting by the nest. It was joined about 15 minutes later by a second adult. No food was brought in, and I did not see any chicks. Judging by the behavior of the parents, which appear to be roosting quite nearby, but are not brooding, they must still be rather young, but capable of thermoregulation-- maybe two weeks old or less.

They are about 75-100 yards on the other side of a busy 4-lane highway (sound familiar?) with lots more traffic all day than Pines Boulevard. I approached to the shoulder of the highway, maybe about 300 yards away, so my photos are of poor quality. They did not feed the eaglets and I could not see them.