Lake Guntersville dam - lock side. Three Bald Eagle, eaglets nesting - March 2012If you want to see a really awesome site this weekend head up to the
.
(Admission is free)
You'll be able to spot three eaglets in their nest and possibly their parents swooping in as well.
I took the kids up there recently and shot these two pictures. ( I took way more, but didn't want to overwhelm you)
The eaglets will soon leave the nest, probably by the end of the month.
How do you get there?
You want to make sure you are on the Tennessee Valley Land Management park side, NOT the power grid side.
Directions:
--
p.
From Guntersville: Go north on Highway 431 approximately 15 miles and turn left at the Guntersville Dam sign after crossing the Houston Bridge. Go approximately two miles and the pavilion will be located on the left.
Once you turn into the dam area, look for the first paved road on the right. Turn right and look to your right you'll see a tiny brown sign that says sensitive wildlife area.
Look up into the sky and back and you'll see the nest way up in a pine tree.
There are three babies -- which do not look like babies in the nest.
They are huge and have massive wingspans.
They are all black and brown. They will get their white feathers in 4 to 5 years.
(My son said "Mama those are buzzards, not eagles they don't have white feathers. Why are we looking at buzzards.")
The nest is in a pine tree and is massive -- it's about six to 7 feet deep and about 9 to 10 feet wide -- estimated weight 1,000 to 1,200 pounds.
Take your binoculars.
Be quiet.
You'll need to park on the side of the road and get out and walk over to a little cut out in the woods or stand on the side of the road.
Lake Guntersville dam - lock side. Three Bald Eagle, eaglets nesting - March 2012(I did not have my tripod with me so this one is blurry)
Not my best shot but you can see all three eagles.
I was using a 70-200mm lens and still had to zoom in using Photoshop.
If you have access to a larger lens, take it because they are quite a distance from the viewing area.
BBM Facebook community member Kim Schwarting shared this tip --- "Baby Eagles are currently hatching in Richmond, VA.