2 bald eaglets hatch near White Rock lake
DALLAS — After some tough times for a pair of bald eagles trying to make a home in Dallas, there is good news to report.
The city's Park and Recreation Department confirmed the sighting of two eaglets in a nest near White Rock Lake, high atop a sycamore tree.
The two American Bald eaglets are believed to have hatched in March.
Birdwatchers like Sue Carter, who took these amazing photos, have been waiting months for this rare sight.
"Just like, 'Oh, this is their eureka moment,'" said Carter. "I'm from England. We don't have a lot of bald eagles there. So it's nice to have the opportunity to see them."
The eaglet's parents are never far away, keeping a close eye on the nest, only occasionally seen heading toward the lake on a hunt to feed the offspring.
Down below, there's almost always someone with a camera capturing such an unusual sight for an urban area.
"I just got into birding about three months ago," said Trudy Roguemore, a Lancaster resident.
Dallas Park and Recreation is celebrating the arrival of the eaglets but there is also concern.
Just two years ago, the same pair of eagles had another nest nearby fall from a tree during a storm and there are still challenges ahead this time.
"It's their first time, they're first-time parents. So we're hopeful," said Brett Johnson, the Dallas Park and Recreation Conservation Manager. "They're figuring things out as they go along. And sometime in the next week to two weeks, we'll probably start seeing them come out and flex their wings a little bit, maybe start trying to figure out how to fly that can occur in the back and honestly occur anywhere from mid-June to mid-August."
Both city and state conservation and wildlife officials installed a protective fence that keeps the public at least 300 yards away from the nest.
All activities on the athletic fields near the nest have been canceled for now as well as any park maintenance and construction projects as every effort is being made to encourage America's national bird to make a permanent home here.