the wetland eagle story
The John Bunker Sands Wetland Center has been fortunate to have a mating pair of Bald Eagles call the Center home. Bald Eagles are a unique species of bird that mate for life, and each year return to the same nest or nesting area to lay their eggs.
The Bald Eagles began nesting at the Wetland in 2011, most notably, building their nest on a power line near the Wetland Center. Through a partnership with ONCOR, Mica Steel Works (formally known as Falcon Steel) and Chapman Group, we were able to relocate the 200 pound bald eagle’s nest that was sitting dangerously close to a high-voltage line on July 12-13, 2014. The existing tower arm was re-attached to a new and higher tower built and donated by Falcon Steel, providing a safe nesting area for the eagles. View the videos below to see the eagles in the news and how the relocation was accomplished.
Since then, we have experienced the birth of many eaglets, with each breeding season bringing in an exciting new chapter to eagle’s story. In 2020 After 1 ½ years of planning and design, a new eagle camera was installed to view the sights and sounds of wetland. The eagle tower camera design, fabrication and installation was made possible through our partnership with Good Faith Energy, Mica Steel Works, and Primoris and a generous donation from a donor (Kathy D.) who loves our eagles. We were all set for the 2021/2022 eagle season with the new camera. However, in 2021 the eagle pair relocated their nest to a nearby location. Some eagle pairs are known to rotate between a couple different nests, and we hoped that the eagles would return to the tower nest in the next breeding season. Although the eagles were not in the tower nest for two breeding seasons, there was plenty of action in the nest with great horned owls and crested cara cara’s checking out the area for their own benefit. After much anticipation, the eagles returned to the tower nest for the 2023/2024 season!
If you come out visit the Wetland Center to see the eagles, please know that while we are happy to tell you all about their history and where they might be, they are still wild animals and federally protected. We are excited to share news of eagle sightings and potential eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center, however our foremost conservation goal is to protect the eagle habitat by reducing human impact. We are dedicated to the eagles’ protection (the law and the Eagle Conservation Plan we have with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service demand it). Any human impact on the JBS eagles or their nests will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The eagle habitat is monitored by multiple cameras 24 hours a day.
Click here to see a timeline of events of their nesting behaviors and eaglets.