Eaglets earning their wings

After more than two months in a confined space, two bald eaglets are expected to soon stretch their wings and fly from the home nest to start their journey as adults into the world.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Watchable Wildlife program held an eaglet watching in North Salt Lake Tuesday morning to observe the babies' attempt to fly. Although they did not make any grand exits, the eaglets did wave their wings and move around in their nests.

"They are learning to fly when they are doing all these antics," DWR Watchable Wildlife Program coordinator Bob Walters said.

Though the eaglets did not take wing at 75 days old, they will soon.

"The magic number for this bird is 88 days when they earn their wings," Walters said.

They nest in a structure made by Walters, which he says looks like a fork that was caught in a garbage disposal. He also made a perch for the parents out of steel. He made the structures because the old nest and perch, a dead cottonwood, blew over in a wind storm in 2001. The eagles do not seem to mind the man-made nest because they return year after year to the nesting site to incubate new eggs.

He said the nesting process as well as wind and other environmental factors damage the nest.

"With bald eagles it is a matter of repair and maintenance," Walters said.

The birds incubated for 35 days and after approximately 75 days will attempt to fly.

Because the nest is so close to the Jordan River, the eagles dine on a regular diet of fish, waterfowl, water snakes, as wells as muskrat and other rodents. Walters said because the birds live close to a sheep ranch, the ranchers were afraid the eagles would eat lambs. However, he has not seen wool in the nest materials so he said he thinks the sheep are safe.

Eagle nests usually have a minimal threat from natural predators, though the eaglets have a 60-70 percent mortality rate, he said. The baby's have extreme temperatures to deal with from when the eggs are laid in February to the time they vacate the nest. Also, if a baby falls from the nest, it must return to the nest by itself or it will die.

People are the biggest threat.

"I can't tell you how many times people have driven in a bird field," he said.

When the baby eagles learn to fly, they head for places unknown to them.