Eaglet Not Ready To Fly Yet...

What an amazing day...a day of observation and learning, under the fine direction of Dennis Manzer, who has been documenting eagle nests for 14 years. Since Manzer moved to Beaverton in 1979, he has spent thousands of hours documenting the populations of bald eagles, hawks and osprey in the area. He was part of a project from 2000 to 2007 to document the populations of bald eagles, led by the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Now 64 and retired from an electronics company, he still makes trips out to watch the birds. He notes their flight times out of the nest and the progression of nest building.

According to Manzer, "When they asked me (to be on the bald-eagle observation team), I was just tickled," Manzer said. "I don't have a biology degree. I don't have any degree. And here some research team invites me to participate." He has watched the number of eagle nests in Oregon nearly double in the last five years. He devotes most weekends and daylight hours after work to track the eagles and other raptors. Manzer considers himself fortunate that the birds are coming back to the place he also calls home.

You don't have to be as committed as Manzer to search out and watch birds of prey in Washington County Oregon...you can
be like me...I saw a group of what I thought were "birders" along side of the road, so I grabbed my camera, and stopped to find out what they were looking at. They all replied that there was an "eagle nest" across the road, and that the eaglet was about ready to take it's first flight. So, for the past two days, I have become part of that GROUP of crazy folks waiting patiently for that great occasion.

From Manzer's observations, there are currently 11 nesting eagles in Washington County. Today we watched one eaglet get ready to leave the nest. He rose nearly 7 feet off of the next, but each time he returned...much to our dismay. This eaglet's first solo flight is 4 days overdue (according to averages), and he's got a herd of interested spectators watching his every move daily. I had to leave at 5PM, and only hope that he did NOT take his first flight, as I'm so wanting to see it. I will be at the next at the break of dawn tomorrow, to watch for another day!

As a sidenote, Manzer is almost positive that the parents of this eaglet have been together about 3-4 years...and I photographed them back several years ago, only blocks from this nest. It's full circle for me to see their first born, and to hopefully witness his first flight tomorrow!!!

For more photos, visit my Flickr page...