Animal News
Dallas' bald eagles lose home when nest crashes to ground in gusty winds
The bald eagles who were nesting by Dallas White Rock Lake lost their home when their nest fell to the ground during high winds on February 15.
Ben Sandifer, the photographer and parks advocate, tweeted that the nest, which had been built in a tree off Buckner Boulevard, fell and completely disintegrated.
"Really sad to see both bald eagles crying and calling as they circle where their nest once stood," Sandifer said.
The nest had eggs, which is why the birds lingered in the area. One park ranger speculated that two eaglets may have hatched.
Bald eagles have been spotted near the lake since at least 2019, but this particular nest emerged in October 2021. The male-and-female mating couple captured the attention of nature and bird lovers — so much attention that the city of Dallas and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was forced to intervene to protect the birds and their nest.
Bald eagles are not uncommon in Texas skies, but experts say that the location the birds chose to make their nest, in a busy area off Buckner Boulevard, is rare, although its proximity to White Rock Lake guaranteed a steady food supply.
The nest was at such a high height that it was destroyed in the fall.
The catastrophe drew a bevy of spectators as well biologists from the state and city of Dallas to the site on Tuesday afternoon.
It also drew a trio of helicopters from local news outlets, whose intrusive hovering upset bird-savvy witnesses, who clucked over the effect their presence had on the already-stressed birds.
