Eagles 3, Owls 2

During the last nine years we have been watching several pair of eagles nesting and raising their young. One pair has just hatched their seventieth young ones and the other pair have been having some trouble with establishing their territory.

This pair of eagles built a nest in a beautiful tree and had success in hatching two chicks. The next year the nest took was taken over by a pair of Great Horned Owls. The following year it was eagles again  and this year the owls were there to raise their two chicks. Owls are notorious for being lazy and avoiding the work of building a nest. They steal a ready made nest from eagles or other large birds.

We are always surprised that eagles will give up their nest to owls, but they do. This year it appears to be a good year for the nesting birds but there are some problems with water levels for wading birds. When we keep score for that second nest we have it: Eagles 3 and Owls 2.

The Owl and The Eagle

We have been watching over this one nest for nine years. It has been used mostly by eagles but for a while it was rented out to a great horned owl family. This year the occupants appeared to be the eagles. However an owl has taken a stance that she would love to have the nest as well.

The other day we observed the mother eagle sitting on eggs as she has been for some time. There perched five feet above her was the great horned owl. The owl looked as if she would take the nest as her own if the eagle moved. The male eagle was away hunting but I know on its return there will be a fight for the ownership.

I would bet on the eagle maintaining ownership but we will see during the next few days. The owl is a fierce bird and will try to intimidate the eagle but the huge eagle will win out in  the end . I wish to see the owl find suitable accommodation in the near area so we will have the benefit of watching her raise her chicks in harmony with the neighborhood.

Horned Owls

Theresa and I watch over two Bald Eagle nests. It is an almost daily exercise to see them. Magnificent birds and good parents who show tough love. This winter only one nest is being used by eagles and they are presently sitting on eggs. This pair has added to the eagle population by nine over the past five years. They changed their religion once when they moved their nest from a spare lot to a Roman Catholic churchyard.

One day they just left and took most of their nest and found a perfect tree. The problem was that the area they chose was designated as a sight for a youth center. Florida law prohibits building any structure in an area where eagles live and have laid eggs. Now these birds live in a beautiful location and the church has to wait to complete its building project.

The second nest was invaded by a lazy great horned owl couple. The owls just took over the sight and are going to have a family there. We cannot wait as the fledgings of these great owls are exciting to watch. This occur ed before and we visited them often. So clumsy looking and large but make no mistake, they are powerful invaders. They, the owls are lazy and prefer to locate in already built eagle nests.

Over the next few weeks I shall take pictures and share them with you. In the meantime Theresa and I will be bird watchers and enjoy the thrill of seeing the eagles and owls raise their families.