Date: 5/8/25 1:39 pm From: Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wiley Slough - Bald Eagle Nest
Hi all,
The chick hatch is probably imminent. Both parents are staying
'near' the nest
essentially full time and they are more "active" than they were even a
week ago.
I have not seen evidence that the hatch has already occurred - but they
are not
sitting continuously and will both go off to a nearby roost for as much
as a half
hour or more (don't need to sit on warm days?). They are switching off
which
one is staying closest/on the nest - maybe two or three times a day.
One of the parents (the male?) has very "creaky" wings and flies in
the vicinity
once or twice a half hour - mostly moving from one tall tree to
another. It also
calls out when sitting. "Proud Papa Bragging" ... ? *G* It flew quite
close to my
head one time when I walked under the nest in order to get past - the best
viewing is usually from the 'far side' of the nest. (Do you remember
"Far Side"?)
I am getting out there about every other day. Hoping to see a "fuzzy
head"!
What I've seen so far is "a head sticking up over the edge of the nest".
This nest is about a mile's walk - one way - from the parking lots at
Wiley. Depending
upon the tide you will see ducks (mostly mallards and green-winged
teal), yellowlegs
(both), great blue herons, tree swallows and maybe the occasional barn
swallow,
Downy Woodpeckers, a cormorant, and perhaps even a TUVU. It is
interesting to me
how few gulls there are.
It takes me about an hour one way from the parking lot to the nest -
because I
stop and bird along the way both ways. I've been spending about 1/2 to
a full hour
near the BAEA nest. It is on the right side of the walking path (dike
top) and only
about 20-25 feet up in a tree ... pretty hard to miss it. When you get
to where the
sitting bench is you are 'about 2/3rds of the way'.
There have been reports of a Great-horned Owl family near the boat
ramp at
Wiley - I saw the adult one time about 2 weeks ago but have been 'blanked'
since.
- go Birding! ... Jim in Skagit County
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