In-Town Tourist: Bald Eagles at Highbanks
The sycamore-lined river that runs alongside one of my running trails has become the fishing grounds for a pair of American Bald Eagles, and Highbanks Metro Park visitors (and employees) are more than a little excited about the new family. Parking lots are fuller, and I’m seeing more hikers with cameras and binoculars. Yesterday a park naturalist alerted me to the arrival of an eaglet and increased parental activity centered around feeding the new baby.
A ranger with a scope for visitor viewing is often stationed at the observation deck off of the Overlook Trail. The nest is in the distant upper branches of a sycamore tree in the protected Edward F Hutchins Preserve. Smart birds. You’ll need a ranger or someone with knowledge of the nest location to spot it.
Females generally lay one to three eggs, so the watch is on for eaglet siblings. I’m lingering after my trail runs to watch the skies with my telephoto zoom.
