Out walking the dogs today in the park, my husband and I looked up and saw a bald eagle. I had to do a double-take because I’d never seen an eagle in our neighborhood, though it was not too surprising, with the woods and tall pines and water nearby.
No sooner did we identify the giant bird, than we saw a second eagle pursuing the first. The two started flying circles around each other in a slow dance directly over our heads.
We laughed about how on any other day we’d have kept our dogs close if we saw eagles overhead. Our two chihuahuas would make fine snacks for these magnificent birds of prey. But today, these birds had only eyes for each other.
Round and round they flew, widening the circle and rising higher and higher until they were specks in the sky. Watching them, I thought how giant their territory must be. With their 6-foot wingspan, they cover a lot of area.
I wondered where this pair of lovebirds would nest. Somewhere away from the houses, I expect, in the tallest pine tree in the patchwork forest. We live in suburbia, but in between the roads strewn with houses, there are parks and preserves with trees tall enough to tempt any eagle couple looking to build a home. We have creeks and an old lake that’s turned into a wetland.
I was reading that eagles nest less than two miles from the water and often right along the shore, loving fish as they do. They stay far away from human activity, unlike osprey, who I’ve seen nesting along highways, busy harbors and even on a crumbling old dock. Both birds build enormous nests, but if you see one easily, it’s probably an osprey nest. I’ve seen very few eagle’s nests in my life. The most memorable one I saw from a boat, and even that was from a respectable distance. Eagles need their space.
In any case, I can’t stop thinking about those two birds circling one another like billowing smoke, up and up until they were out of sight. Such a beautiful dance. I’d be delighted if they have come to settle near us, though our local crows would not be amused. And we’d have to keep an eye on the dogs because those big birds will not always be so distracted by one another, especially when they have little mouths to feed.