Another amazing tip from the Tropical Audubon Society Bird Board. Bald Eagles nesting right on US1 in North Miami. I was skeptical of such a charismatic bird in such an urban area, but it is right near Oleta River State Park, so I went this morning to check it out.
As I was stopped at the red light right outside the FIU Biscayne Bay Campus, about to turn onto US1, I saw her carrying what looked like a small tree, soaring low over the road. I followed her, parked, and by the time I got my camera out she was on her platform. She stayed there the next 50 minutes I sat watching her before I had to go to work. I will definitely be back this week, earlier than 8:30 like today, to get those amazing shots.
This sighting brings up another interesting ethical issue. The local news would be all over this. What's the chances they find out? Should I tell them? Will the eagles be disturbed by media attention? These are questions I'm already discussing with my smarter, wiser birding buddies. We seek out these birds (all birds, not just Bald Eagles), we photograph them, we document them, because they are awe-inspiring and a part of our South Florida ecology. They deserve our admiration and protection and consideration. Not everyone understands or appreciates the complex relationships between human society and the natural ecology of this complex area of the world. How will those interactions develop in this expanding city?
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| Six lanes of US1 on a Sunday morning. I wonder whose tower that is |
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| You can see the sticks on this platform. Better pictures to come. |
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