Bald Eagles on the Potomac

as seen in the paper!
Originally uploaded by philliefan99

I live about a mile from the Potomac River where for over a year now, it's been possible to make bald eagle sightings! The drive along George Washington Parkway skirts the Potomac for most of its route and offers some fantastically serene views (one needs serenity while commuting among the maniac drivers in Northern Virginia). Last summer, I recall pointing out a lone eagle to the kids on many occasions, perched on a tall-but-dead tree right at the river's edge. Heck, I don't think I'd ever seen an eagle in the wild before myself! My kids have no idea what a treat this is.

For the last couple of months, I've noticed photographers in this area at all times of day, in the most frigid weather, with tons of heavy photography equipment and long, telephoto lenses. It wasn't until one day last month that I decided to cast my view (hard to do at 45 MPH) toward the angle their lenses were pointed. There, in the crux of a large tree on the edge of Alexandria's Belle Haven Country Club golf course, was a large, sloppy, twiggy bird's nest!! With a bald eagle hanging out on a branch a few feet above! Wait, if it's an eagle's nest, does that make it an aerie? (nope, only if we are at high altitude.) According to news sources, the eagle pair has been nicknamed "Alex" and "Belle."

I'm pretty impressed with these goings-on, especially since the bald eagle was almost extinct twenty years ago. C'mon, little eaglets!