When In Rome…Keep An Eye Out For Eagles!

You know the saying – “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Well, I say, “When in Rome, be on the lookout for Bald Eagles!”
Of course, I’m talking about Rome, Georgia and the eagles that reside at Berry College.

One of my Christmas gifts this year was an overnight stay at the Jewel Cottage on Berry’s campus, which I took advantage of this past weekend.  I received the same gift for my birthday last fall, and loved it so much that I begged for a return trip!  Now, it is a permanent item on my gift list!  Anyway, I arrived at the college  early Saturday morning, and headed straight to the eagle’s nest viewing area.  I was delighted to discover that the Mom was in the nest, busily tearing apart a Coot for her not so little eaglets.  The bright morning sun and the “Do not pass beyond this point” sign made it hard to get clear photos, but I was simply thrilled to see them at all.

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I was joined by a small gathering of people, and judging by the size of their lenses (which I hereby confess to a wee bit of camera coveting) I was the only amateur in the group.  I was also the only one who couldn’t contain my “oohing” and “aahing.”

After awhile, Mom left the nest and perched on a nearby branch.  She stayed close enough to guard her young ones, but far enough away to have a “Mommy moment.”

Mom1

Mom2

Mom3

In case you would like a bit of background, this is the third year that this Eagle pair has nested and raised young ones at this site.  These two eaglets, named B4 and B5, hatched in mid-February and will probably take their first flight in two to four weeks. I haven’t told Berry yet, but I am going to come up with some better names for these birds!

In the evening hours (happily tired from a long day hiking with my daughter) I returned to say goodnight to the eaglets before retiring to my cottage.  The little ones, alone in the nest, were alert and active.

eaglet1

eaglet2

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They alternated between wing-flapping sibling sparring and anxiously awaiting Mom and Dad’s return.

eaglet4

eaglet5

Seeing the Bald Eagles was only one of the weekend’s highlights.  Stop by tomorrow for a second post – “When in Rome…Say Hey To The Horses!

And if you want to see the Berry Eagles live (for as long as the nest is still occupied) check out their website: http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published by kathydoremus

Amateur nature "photogriter." One who still marvels at majesty.

14 thoughts on “When In Rome…Keep An Eye Out For Eagles!”

  2. cool – it seems you really get close to the eagles? I would love to see them, too! The only time, I saw a Bald Eagle was on a journey to the Yellowstone National Park in 1994 – and since I was 11 years old back then, I don’t remember very much… 🙂

  3. What a wonderful gift to see these birds Kathy, so special to be able to look into a nest with chicks, especially an eyrie! That is so cool! Great shots for a so called ‘amateur’, they look professional enough for me, if you catch the gleam in the bird’s eye you have the great take, and that you have.:-)

    1. The evening shots were better since there was less glare to battle. And hey – I may not be professional, but I’m pretty sure I had more fun than anyone else there! 🙂

      1. The eagle (latin Aquila) was very important to the Romans and each legion carried an gold eagle standard. To lose one in battle was viewed as a disaster. Eagles were sacred to Jupiter, and the appearance of an eagle was interpreted as a message from the king of the gods — a very big deal! Kept the priests and augurs in business, LOL

  6. Wow!! What a fantastic day! I was almost as excited as you much have been, just reading about your experience! Your photos are wonderful, too!! Almost as good as seeing them with my own eyes! Thanks for letting me “tag along” on your day!

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