Bald Eagle nest in precarious location (Illinois)

[NewMexiKen]

A pair of Bald Eagles started nesting near our second home in Illinois just after we moved there. After about three years their nest fell down and for the last thee or four years they have been breeding successfully in a native pine tree which in right in the middle of a residential school parking lot. The cars park right up to the tree trunk, and crowds often watch from very close by. Unfortunately, the tree started declining and by last fall it was nearly dead. Now it is completely dead. There are at least two eaglets which look to be about 3 weeks old. Dead pines have soft wood which rots quickly, and this tree will quickly become a hazard to those who park or walk near it. The tree probably starved because its roots were nearly entirely covered by the asphalt pavement. I do not think anything was done to speed its demise. I wonder what will happen if they continue to use the tree-- at some point it may need to be taken down.

Interestingly, this was the first nest in Kane County since before  DDT was banned, and the Pembroke Pines (Florida) nest near our permanent home was also the first in Broward County!

Here is the tree:





The female was on the nest with the eaglets:







As a bonus, Great Horned Owls have a nest with one owlet in a nearby park: