Top: Eagles renovate an old red-tailed hawk’s nest. Middle and bottom: The birds widened and deepened the nest by bringing branches one at a time.

Bald Eagle Nest

A pair of bald eagles is nesting at Bluff Lake Nature Center (BLNC). Many raptors, like great horned owls and red-tailed hawks, as well as many other birds, have successfully nested and raised their broods at BLNC, but not bald eagles. In late January 2025, two young bald eagles arrived at BLNC and found an empty tree nest previously occupied by red-tailed hawks. By March 1, the nest had been transformed into an eagle’s nest. Courtship behavior in flight and actual mating by the pair have been witnessed. The birding community is very excited and hopeful that egg laying and incubation will follow.

Coincident with this wildlife procreation process, groundbreaking for the construction of a brand-new facility and parking lot at BLNC took place on March 12, 2025. The main entrance to Bluff Lake from MLK Jr. Blvd. is closed, and a new entrance at the intersection of Havana St. and Florence Way will be used until the completion of construction. The monthly bird walks on the first Saturday of each month will continue as campus improvements take place.

Please do visit and enjoy witnessing the natural activities of the bald eagles, but exercise consideration and constraint by maintaining a buffer—a distance between your activity and the nest—to minimize visual and auditory impacts associated with human activities near the nest. Please remain on the trails and avoid unnecessary noises and boisterous activities. Thank you.

Bird Walks April 5 and May 3, one walk in April, two walks in May. Free but you must RSVP at www.blufflake.org/birdwatching. All are welcome. Bring your own binoculars, or borrow a pair from your guide. 11255 MLK Blvd.

Search www.FrontPorchNE.com for “Bird Sightings” to see all the past bird stories and photos from George Ho.