Bald Eagles Nest At National Arboretum In D.C.
WASHINGTON (WJZ) — For the first time in nearly seven decades, the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. has a bald eagle nest.
Amy Yensi got to see the nest firsthand.
The eggs are nearly hatching and there's an eagle keeping a close eye at all times. WJZ got as close as possible without upsetting the mama bird.
Perched high on a sturdy branch, a prominent bird watches over its growing family--the bald eagle making the National Arboretum its new home.
"Oh, it's fantastic just to have your national symbol flying and roosting and breeding right near the Capitol. You can actually see the Capitol from their nest," said Dan Rauch, D.C. Department of the Environment.
The last known bald eagle nest at the arboretum was in 1947.
In recent years, environmental groups have cleaned up the Anacostia River, setting the stage for its return to the prime nesting spot.
"They need large trees. They also need close proximity to water for a food source. So the arboretum provides that," said Rauch.
It's still not clear how many eggs are in the nest or if they even hatched. So next week, the Fish and Wildlife Service will fly over the nest to find out.
The plan is to peek into the nest without ruffling any feathers.
"We need to respect the boundaries so we don't cause any kind of disturbance that they'd want to abandon that nest," Rauch said.
A breathtaking sight that we once were at risk of losing.
"We almost lost them back in the '70s right before they were put on the endangered species list in 1973," said Rauch.
"I think that's why they're a good emblem for the country because they do take a hit, but get back up and keep doing what they do. And that's sort of what the American people are like," one woman said.
A small section of the arboretum will be closed off to visitors to protect the bald eagles.
The bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. There are now more than 11,000 nesting pairs in the U.S.