It is one of those trick questions of Washington birding: "what is the earliest nesting bird species in Washington State?" Non-intuitive or sometimes forgotten answers might be: Rock Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird or Great Horned Ow. However an even better answer might be that 2011 Bald Eagles start nesting in 2010. On a walk on Magnolia Blvd this morning, an adult Bald Eagle was seen snapping bare twigs off a Big-leaf Maple tree and carrying it down to Perkins Lane where the large (as opposed to huge) nest was in a tall Cottonwood. Both adults were busy adding and tucking in twigs to the nest, while one of them spent time sitting, doubtless to assess long-term comfort levels. After all she will be sitting on the nest for two years.

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David Hutchinson, Owner
Flora & Fauna: Nature Books
Discovery Gardens: Native Plants
3212 W.Government Way
Seattle,WA.98199
http://www.ffbooks.net/
206-623-4727