Just ten minutes from Wright State University live two bald eagles, Jim and Cindy, perched in a towering nest as they guard their young from the cold. The nest can be viewed from Eastwood Lake Metro Park in Riverside, but should not be accessed since the tree that houses the eagles is on the City of Dayton Well Field property.
Joshua York, the Education Supervisor for the Five Rivers Metroparks, believes the eagles chose a smart location to make a home.
“The eagles picked a great spot because people are not allowed in that area. It’s given them the privacy they need. They can be touchy when people walk up to their nest,” York said. That being said, disturbing a bald eagle is a federal offense.
Jim and Cindy refurbished a Great Blue Heron nest where they hatched their first two eaglets in 2011, according to Jim Weller of the Easterwood Eagle Watchers. Eagles mate for life and share the responsibilities of incubating the eggs, which range from one to three a year. These young parents have successfully hatched ten eaglets, some of which have stayed in the Miami Valley and can be viewed in neighboring counties.
“Jim and Cindy’s first egg of 2015 hatched last Tuesday, March 24,” Weller said. “The newly hatched eaglets are the size of a baby chick and covered in white fluffy down. They are unable to maintain their own body heat and are totally reliant on the warmth of their brooding parents.”
The eaglets will take their first flight sometime in June.
If interested in viewing the Miami Valley bald eagles Jim and Cindy, bird watchers can visit Eastwood Metro Park at 1385 Harshman Road in Riverside. Don’t forget to bring binoculars! The eagles often hunt and drink from the Eastwood Lake.
