Eagle Activity Around Oyster Cove

Here around the Chesapeake Bay, the winter cold has settled in, and the migratory birds have arrived. It’s also a busy time for our local area’s American Bald Eagles. Since November, pairs have been hard-working on their nests as well as reconnecting their commitment to each other. If a pair has successfully mated, the female should be close to or has already laid her egg brood for this season and is busy keeping them warm. Our locals also have to deal with protecting their territory from other busy local Eagles as well as migratory Eagles from the far North who winter around the Chesapeake Bay area.

I always see this time of year as the best opportunity to see our local Eagles on a frequent basis, perched on a tree over at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) or on one of our channel markers, or soaring the skies around us. It is a joy to watch a pair become playful as the male will fly and swoop around his girl, sometimes giving a little tap with the wing while she plays “catch me if you can”. Click here to see “Eagle love” from a previous post. To get the opportunity to watch a pair mate in the sky as they entwine and fall precariously to the ground (called “cartwheeling”) is extraordinary. Click here to see a previous post of mine with my lucky captures!

And what a delight it has been to look out my window and see an eagle (or two!) on our Oyster Cove community’s osprey nest platform, taking a break while keeping a watchful eye out for other intruding eagles. Our community is so lucky to get these opportunities with our cameras and binoculars.

American Bald Eagles (female on the right) who live over at CBEC

We have two local pair of Eagles that I’ve been watching, who like to irritate each other, which gives great entertainment for us. When the pair above either together or singularly visits our platform, the other pair who appear to live over at Kent Island will hang out on the Kent Narrows southend entrance markers, to show their presence, together or singularly as well.

When this happens, we can have a ‘vocal’ war.

The other(s) will reply and then it continues for a brief period. What entertainment, I love it! Pretty cool to hear too!

For those in the community with telephoto lens or binoculars, the next photos will show where the pair of Eagles that visit our platform perch and nest over at CBEC which we can see from our property. Note the osprey nest platform in the photos at CBEC for reference.