It’s spring and love is in the air. Now we’re ready for babies.  The Bald Eagles are nesting, so it won’t be long.  The Decorah Eagle Cam is operating and if the past is any guide to the future, millions worldwide will check in to see eggs laid, babies hatch, eaglets fledge and leave the nest.

We’re lucky in Iowa that if we look up, we might see eagles and their nests in real time. I saw one today.

As I walked around Gray’s Lake in Des Moines, I kept watch because I’d heard reports of eagles there. Sure enough, there was one of these magnificent birds soaring over the river. And there was its nest, easy to spot since the trees haven’t leafed out yet. The eagle stopped at the nest, flew to a nearby tree, perched there a while, flew out, looped around and returned to its perch. Several times. A remarkable sight to see.

Bald eagle pairs return to, and add on to, the same nests year after year until, eventually, the nests may weigh a ton or more. Though no longer protected under the Federal Endangered Species act, these birds are still covered by the Gold and Bald Eagle Protection Act.  Bald Eagles have experienced a remarkable resurgence, with nesting pairs of eagles documented in 84 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Next time you’re out for a walk, look up. You might just see an eagle.