72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nest in some of the largest concentrations in the contiguous United States along the coast, estuaries, and islands of the Pacific Northwest. In late April, after 34–36 days of incubation by both parents, the first eaglets break through their shells — usually one to three downy white chicks per nest. For the following two weeks, one parent remains on or immediately beside the nest nearly constantly, brooding the chicks against rain and cold while the other hunts. The enormous stick nests — some over six feet across and weighing hundreds of pounds — are mostly located in the tops of old-growth Douglas-fir or cottonwood trees along saltwater shorelines, lakeshores, and rivers. San Juan Island, Orcas Island, Whidbey Island, and the northern Olympic Peninsula shoreline all support dense nesting populations. Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass State Park are reliable sites with eagles visible from the road or from the bridge walkway. Though the chicks themselves are not easily visible from the ground, patient observers can watch adults making repeated fishing sorties and returning to the nest — a sign that nestlings are being fed. An adult standing on the nest rim, leaning forward and repeatedly offering food, is the clearest indicator of a successful hatch. Spotting scopes help greatly. Kayakers and boaters along the BC coast and northern Puget Sound often have line-of-sight angles on nests that are invisible from shore. The chicks will grow rapidly through May and begin flapping their wings — a dramatic sight — by early June.