unexpected eagles
p.1 #1unexpected eagles
i follow a pair of bald eagles at kankakee fish and wildlife area each year for the past 4-5 yrs. they have a large nest in a big cottonwood tree. once the eggs are laid i usually will see the head of the female eagle sticking up from the nest and the male eagle is usually in a tree close to the nest. the first week of june was the first time i saw both the male and female eagles away from the nest. they were in a dead tree close to the nest. i figured the eaglets were big enough that the female didn't need to be there all the time. one morning last week, i was surprised to see these three eagles in the same tree. i believe these are the eaglets from this year that have fledged. the one with its beak open appeared to be calling to a parent bird to bring it food. this is the first time i have seen bald eagle fledglings. for the forum members with more experience with me about bald eagles, is it normal for a bald eagle pair to have 3 eaglets that survive to fledge or is this less common?
Canon EOS R7 EF600mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x III lens 840mm f/6.3 1/2000s 500 ISO -0.3 EV
Canon EOS R7 EF600mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x III lens 840mm f/6.3 1/2000s 640 ISO -0.3 EV
Canon EOS R7 EF600mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4x III lens 840mm f/6.3 1/1600s 400 ISO -0.3 EV
Jun 23, 2026 at 10:53 AM
p.1 #2unexpected eagles
Nice set Wendall. In my experience most eaglets make it to adulthood. The nest I've been following for years failed and the adults have stop returning to that location. I've been looking for one that's easy to photograph.
Morris
Morris
Jun 24, 2026 at 05:36 AM