Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagles

History from the VDGIF archives
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/eaglecam/a ... _index.asp

Monday, April 10, 2006
“How We Got Here”

As you can read in the accompanying information on eagles provided on this Web site, eagles nest in the same nest, or same general area, for many years. A single nest may be used for more than 25 years. Our story began in 2002 when a pair of eagles established a new territory at the Norfolk International Airport, built a nest there and produced 2 young. Unfortunately, in 2003 the male of the pair was struck by an aircraft and killed before eggs could be laid. Another male quickly moved into the territory and mated successfully with the surviving female. The pair fledged one young that year.To protect human safety and preserve this breeding territory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Center for Conservation Biology at William and Mary, in cooperation with the Airport, decided to remove the eagle nesting tree after the 2003 nesting season. It was hoped these two eagles would move to a nest which they had begun building in a safer location nearby.

The eagles had other ideas. They moved over to the Garden and built a new nest. This was actually a safer and better area, and plans were made with the Garden to develop an exclusion zone around the nest during each breeding season (December 15 – July 15). This marks the 3rd year that this pair of eagles has nested at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.
posted by VDGIF Wildlife Biologist at 8:18 AM

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For the animals shall not be measured by man ~ They are not our brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth ~ Henry Beston