NOV 28: Eagles building new nest

[NewMexiKen]

Luis was already at the Bald Eagle nest when I arrived at about 7:45 AM. He had spotted the female (Jewel) roosting high atop a pine rather deep in the wooded area along SW 208th Avenue. After several minutes she must have either heard or seen the male flying in from the south, as she launched into the air and the male (Pride) appeared moments later. The pair roosted together in a high pine which is east of the nest along Pines Boulevard. Observers have seen the male bringing sticks to that location. Luis pointed out the beginnings of a new nest being built there. It is no more than a loose and small collection of  sticks. After about 20 minutes Pride flew out several times and brought back branches of various sizes. One was very large and he made 2 or 3 unsuccesul attempts to deposit it at the nest site. He was carrying the stick at the very end and realized that he could manage it better by "stepping" along the stick to get neared its center of gravity and control it better. He then succeeded and the pair spent time at the nest. It is very difficult to see the nest as it is obscured by the dense clumps of pine leaves ("needles" which are actually thin branches with tiny scale-like leaflets). I had been visiting the original nest and found no evidence that any repairs had taken place. We are concerned that there seems to be no large supporting branches for this nest and it will require a feat of engineering to ever establish a strong foundation. This was probably why Pride was bringing in such a large branch.

The partial view of the nest is available from the grassy center traffic island in the middle of Pines Boulevard, just east of the next power pole to the east of the old nest. Best  place to stand to view the nest:









Eagle pair at nest site, which is hidden just to the right. Female is higher up.



Female is on or very close to the flimsy nest structure:



Both of the pair are at the nest: