[EBB Sightings] golden eagle pair observed at Sibley

Used to be, I was assured of seeing the golden eagles perched at mid-day
upon the com-towers at Sibley. It was so commonplace to see them from
the vantage point of the first Huckleberry bench, that I facetiously
named myself, "Lunches with Eagles". 
In the past year or two, however, it has been harder and harder to
locate these birds.

Judi Sierra wrote privately to me that she had gone back to the eagle's
nest three times after our initial visit in April, where a bird was
setting, and did not see any further nest activity.
It would appear that the birds abandoned their nest this year, and it is
hard not to think that vastly increased human disturbance wasn't the
cause.  

On Saturday, as I went back to view the Coopers hawks and other
Huckleberry wonders (including a rare orchid that I had never seen there
before), I spotted a large dark bird flying up the canyon. Backtracking
up the trail, I located an eagle on the power towers further up the
canyon from Round Top; two towers over was its mate. Apparently, the
eagles prefer cows as neighbors these days, and who can blame them? At
least they are still hanging out in the vicinity. Between the calls of
Red-tails, and eagles from the canyon, and Coopers fledges and
Pseudo-Red-tails, ie Stellars, in the woods, it was pretty much raptor
heaven.

Debbie Viess