Aerie

Years ago, I went on a volunteer work-vacation to Wyoming. One of the reasons I wanted to go was to see an eagle in the wild. I did and they were as majestic as all those documentaries said they were. Sailing over the canyons, blue skies- I might just break into a John Denver song! It was memorable as something I may never get a chance to see again.
A few years later I moved to Ruskin where I was thrilled to find that we had an eagle's nest just down the road from us, just yards off the paved road, in plain sight for any who cared to look up. I watch for their return each year. This photo was taken last week so they are hopefully getting ready for the season.
It was good to see the eagle perched on its nest. It has been nesting in that pine on Shellpoint Rd for as long as I've lived here and I've been told its been returning there for decades. It is one of the nests monitored by FWS whose website shows it was actively used up until last year. I did see the eagle sitting on its nest last year but did not see any tell-tale signs of nesting or chicks. I hope they have a better year this year!