“Spilling The Wind” Eagle Sculpture Dedicated
October 16, 2011Camellia On Lake Taylor 10/19
October 19, 2011Photos taken with the DGIF/NBG/WVEC eagle web camera Oct 14 and 16.
Photo 1 Female in front, Photo 2 and 3 Female on left, Photo 4 and 5 Female – she has molted head feathers behind her eyes
46 Comments
Pretty birds….
Thanks for these beautiful captures. Does the molted head feathers mean she is a young bird? She sure is beautiful.
By the way, Reese, I think you may have known my grandmother, Anne Crawford Bell, many years ago. She always thought so much of you & appreciated your help. My parents, Charles & Carlotta, have encouraged me to introduce myself (eagle-maniac that I am!)
Would love to meet you someday. 🙂
Response – Lottie, I did indeed know your grandmother, your mother and father and gave French Horn lessons to your brother. We will have to make plans to meet, perhaps at NBG. I have reviewed these and other photos with Dr Bryan Watts, and we believe this female is about 5 or 6 years old. Likely her first breeding season. Reese
Most excellent sir….I heard about these and it’s nice to finally see them. I’m also happy to hear she actually contributed to the nest by bringing sticks back to it…..makes me think she is definately calling NBG home. 🙂
Thanks sooooo much Reese! Without seeing them together, I thought she was huge. This puts it into perspective. She’s not that big. It really does seem that they are a committed pair–and a pretty one at that. We didn’t seem to scare her Saturday, so things are looking good! Oceanview
so nice to see them together – thanks Reese
Hi Reese…..I introduced myself to you on Saturday….along with hundreds of others I’m sure 🙂 It was an honor to meet you and I just want to thank you for all you do and for posting these photos. I only got to see the dad when he put on a show for all of us, circling above the celebration…it was awesome. I did get to see both eagles fly towards the nest tree around 6:50 that evening, but it was way to dark to even see the white on them…..so…..these photos are very much appreciated! It is wonderful to see dad moving on and can’t wait to watch another wonderful year of eagles!
Great photos! I was afraid all the activity on Saturday would scare her off. And wasn’t that flyover magical? 🙂
Thanks so much, Reese, for the photos. Sigh! I hope these two have a successful breeding season, both so Dad Norfolk can have a new family and so we can eagerly await new eaglets. Any ideas as to when/if they will start the cam again soon?
Thank you so much for sharing these photos, Reese. It is wonderful to see them together and warms my heart in the hope of seeing new life again this year. I agree with what Duane said in that it looks as if she is calling NBG home.
Beautiful couple! So happy and so excited to see them in the nest together and looking happy. Read something on FB about the molted feather hapening “postnuptial” while food is a plenty. What do you think? Isn’t it a bit early for them to have mated?
Response – They likely have not copulated, however, there are other ways of bonding which I am sure they are doing.
She is a beauty! I am so happy he has found a mate. Since you believe she may be young, do you think there is a possibility that she will only lay one or two eggs this year, if they mate successfully? Does age seem to have any bearing on the number of eggs they lay? I am wishing them great success! The pictures are great.
Response – First year breeding young eagles often produce only one or two eggs. AT NBG we have become accustomed to 3-egg seasons, which is most unusual. Since 2004 only one other pair of bald eagles monitored in Virginia by CCB were as productive as the NBG eagles.
Wonderful photos! Can you give us an estimate on dad’s age? This may be such a similar story as the Decorah nest, several years ago, when that dad really had to teach the mom how to feed them when they hatched.
Response – The male is at least 15 yers old – he is in his prime.
Just beautiful, Reese. Both of them. They do look right at home, don’t they!!!
Reese, these are the pictures I’ve been waiting for! He found a big beautiful eagle to be his new mate. I hope they have many happy and uneventful years together!
Wonderful news! I am so happy for you all. We were all devastated right along with you back in April. Glad to see there will be new life at NBG. We Decorah eagle fans will be watching the NBG eagles as well.
Response – We check in on your Iowa eagles as well. Thanks.
Also, is there any knowledge of where any of the eaglets are now?
Response – Azalea and Camellia – http://eagletrak.blogs.wm.edu – NX check http://www.wildlifecenter.org – NX tracking
Reese, What great pictures….NOW one question!
Does DAD still have that black feather on his head that he had last mating season? DAD has found himself a younger, much younger, mate….WOW,
We all knew that he was a great catch. I”ll bet he left a string of broken hearts behind.
Thank you REESE, We all love the great love that you have for “our” eagles.
Response – Re black head feather. I have not captured images of the top of his head yet, so don’t know.
excellenty Reese–thats all i gotta say!!!!!
Beautiful! Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks, Reese. I am really happy that Dad found another regal lady.
Hiya Reese! Was so great meeting you and would love to perhaps grab a coffee at the Garden b4 i leave. I’m still at WCV observing and picking Ed’s brain:) Just wanted to thank you so much for the request you put in for Dad Norfolk to show up at 3:30 . Although he may have been a few mins late, he was right on time, Just after i finished my quote about humans and wildlife really being NOT separate:) Can’t wait to know you better. luv, Holly
I am so happy to see these pictures. I’m glad the nesting will continue at NBG. Thanks Reese for your love of these gorgeous animals and sharing them with us.
Those pictures make us all hungry for that camera to be turned on for all to see – can’t wait for January !!!!!
Anticipation ! ! ! ! ! Thanks for the lovely pics.
Thank you Reese for these pictures, I noticed that they are much clearer. Half of me want the camera to be on early and half don’t, because if the camare is on, I will have no life again but just watching eagles!
Reese, it was such a pleasure to meet you on Saturday. I am so impressed with your humbleness and your great caring for these eagles. I know you were devastated at the loss of Mom, but I am sure you will pursue the new mate as vigorously as you have all these years, and bring us new insight into the lives of these beautiful creatures. God bless you in your work!
Thank you so much for posting these beautiful pictures of Dad Norfolk and his new lady, they are so very much appreciated Reece seeing I am so far away from you and will never get to see them for real. Now to wait for the nesting to really start and new bobble heads to fill the nest. Dad spoils his babies so much it’s going to be interesting to see how their new Momma will react when she sees he lets the babies do just what they want when she is not around 🙂
Thank you Reece for posting such great pictures of Dad Norfolk and his new lady. Looking so forward again to follow this family and see if we get bobbleheads this year. They are so majestic and regal.Something that was so sad beyond words is going to be a new beginning with joy and laughter.Love this nest.
Thank you Reese for these great photos. Having found this Eagle cam after the 3 eaglets were born I’m looking forward to watching from the beginning this time. Thank you for all the work you do.
Thank you for posting the picture of Dad eagle, I
am glad that he was able to move forward and find a new mate. How wonderful the new season will be to follow a new family and their adventure.
I followed last season with both laughter and heartbreak, you all do such wonderful work.
Thank you for all you do, for us and the eagles.
Thanks Reese for posting these– I hope to refer to them in my attempts to ID who is who.
What draws a pair together? Does he “court” others and then pick? Nature is a glorious thing!!!
Response – Mutual agreement – they probably send signals thet we can’t recognize or interpret. We all have some secrets!
Thanks so much for the photos, confirming that “Dad Norfolk” is on track for another season…
The Decorah, Iowa eaglenest webcam is live again for 2011-2012 season and I see that there are many “nestoration” activities each morning and evening by that longstanding pair so I was hoping that the same was happening at NBG …looking forward to the NBG nestcam coming on live again !
Best to all of you at NBG for a great and successful 2012. Hope to get back there in the near future.
Reese, thanks for these beautiful photos. Glad to see the circle of life will continue. She is a beauty.
Reese….this is so exciting. She is beautiful! Thank you so much for posting.
Hi Reese, i just wanted to write to thank you for your beautiful photos. thank you for sharing them with us. i, and i know countless others, appreciate everything you do. i enjoyed being at the dedication. i wouldn’t have missed it for anything, except if i was having another grandchild or something. 🙂 we took our 9 year old grandson to the dedication and to tour the WCV. he loved the eagle’s nest in the garden and especially Buddy. i love showing all my grandkids the beauty of nature. thanks again!!!
Thanks for these wonderful photos Reese. She is a beauty, but our Dad is such a handson guy we knew who ever the lucky girl was she would be gorgeous too! Thanks for all you do!
Just beautiful. Thank you so very much.
It was a pleasure to meet you on Saturday. I gave you a picture of Dad from the memorial with my friends poem on it ..She was inspired by your picture you posted of dad sitting in the nest.. I am so happy that Dad has found a new mate so soon. It looks like the season has started with them in the nest and fixing everytihing up..Thank you so much for all the pics we really love to see this pair especially all of us who live so far away…
I feel so blessed to be watching the lives of all these majestic birds. Thank you to all the organizations involved.
Thank you for the glorius pictures which inspire hope for a bright future. The other only solace was that it was most comforting to know that it was you that identified and took care of Mom Norfolk after the tragedy, and for that I thank you. She could not have been in more caring hands.
Thanks so much Reese for the lovely pictures. After such a turbulent year it brings so much anticipation for a new beginning of a long relationship for these two and us. Dad knows how to pick them and she will do a wonderful job 🙂
Thanks Reece– A real gentle man and a scholar– what more could wildlife lovers ask for!! These pictures are just magnificent and draw me into their lives in a whole new way. The new lady is large, but good for the babies–better momumbrellas when needed. Will daddy Norfolk pay lots of attention to the nest building etc.and supervise all, especially since you think she is a young mother-to-be? It’s just too exciting and such a blessing. Many thanks.
Thanks for these wonderful photos Reese.
Thank you Reese for posting these wonderful pictures! Gives us all hope for a new season of joyful watching. Also, to watch a youthful eagle become a lady! 🙂 Still will always remember our great legacy lady and how she was an awesome momma! Again, thank you for the pictures! Please keep posting and updating! We all love it!