Trudging in to the backside of Lakeside Park over the weekend, gear in tow. . . I hear the WHOOSH of a pair of very large wings. Without a second to spare, I am able to grab my camera and get a shot of an immature Bald Eagle as it flies from the tree, sails over Brushy Creek, and crosses over the top of the dam. High in the frame though it is, I was just lucky to get a focused image. Can I be sure that it is one of the eaglets we watched as hatchlings to fledglings earlier this year? No. Do I believe that it probably is? Yes!
We were able to check the island where the nest is last week, and saw one of the parents hiding in the shade of the pine needles. This insufferable heat is apparently hard on our feathered friends, too. They are not any more likely than we are to be baking in the hot afternoon sun. As we watched for a minute, I caught a glimpse of an immature eagle in the dense pine thicket. As the heat lets up and we transition to fall and all the blessings that come with that marvelous time of year - cooler days being only one of them - I believe we will see our first-year eaglets, Liberty and Freedom, as they soar over this beautiful body of water we are so privileged to call home. Bring it on.