Greetings from Holtwood,

This is the first report on the nesting activities of the Holtwood Dam eagles. This is the nest that last year failed because of the freezing of the single egg laid by a very young, new mother.

This same bird, now shown in the picture standing on the left, is supervising her mate busily trying to break off a protruding stick. You can see his beak around the stick and the freshly peeled bark, indicating he has been working on this project for awhile.

As I said, this is the same female from last year, as she still has an incompletely molted brown feather in her tail. The feather in her tail is what identified her last year as a new mate to the old man.

Activity started as early as Jan. 22, when the pair was first observed bringing sticks to the nest. The pair was observed mating just before they returned to the nest to begin working on it again on the morning of Feb. 6.

The other nest at the Holtwood Environmental Preserve, on the south tip of Piney Island, has been under incubation since Groundhog Day, Feb. 2.

Let’s hope that reports can continue for the 10th year of nesting in this tower with the fledging of the 23rd (and hopefully more) eaglet from this nest.

Our first Eagle Watch will be 10 a.m. March 1. We will meet at the parking lot

along McCall’s Ferry Road, 0.2 mile north of the Route 372 intersection. Dress for a half-mile hike to the nest along a road that may be muddy.