Photo by Robert Bunch (2014)
The eagles’ nest, which had been built in a tree at Lake Highlands Park, fell Tuesday afternoon.
High wind gusts were cited as the reason for the nest’s destruction. According to the National Weather Service, the wind speeds ranged between 16 and 23 mph from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 15.
Maria Hasbany, the District 9 Park and Recreation board member, said the nest was taken by the Fish & Game Warden after it fell.
Urban biologists found evidence of only one egg. The nest itself was estimated to be about 3 feet wide and 2-3 feet deep. It weighed around 100 pounds.
The area around the tree is still being protected in case the eagles, nicknamed Nick and Nora by some neighbors, try to rebuild the nest. Fences were installed earlier this month to create a 350-foot buffer between the nest and park users.
Hasbany also said officials think the the eagles are a relatively young couple and might have been inexperienced in building nests; this one was built on a partially dead limb.
According to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, bald eagle nests are typically 4-5 feet wide and 2-4 feet deep. Nests are constructed in mature or old-growth trees, snags, cliffs and rock promontories, generally near a body of water, where they can find food.
Breeding eagles usually lay between one and three eggs once a year. Eggs hatch after about 35 days, and baby eagles can fly within three months.
