Community Corner
Eaglets Spotted By Local Photographer In Will County Forest Preserve
The presence of the eaglets demonstrates that bald eagles have taken up residence in local forest preserve areas, officials said.
HOMER GLEN, IL — Two eaglets have been spotted in a nest at an undisclosed Will County forest preserve and are expected to remain in the area as they begin to test their wings in coming months, officials announced on Wednesday.
The two eaglets were spotted by local photographer Bertrand Leclercq, who is a regular contributor to the Will County Wildlife Facebook group. The nest, which is one of two known eagle nests in the forest preserve district, has also produced two offspring in the past year, the forest district said.
The forest district is not disclosing the exact location of the nest in order to protect the eaglets. Eagles and their nests are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Officials said that human interaction may cause the eagles to abandon their nest and their eggs, officials said.
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Officials said that eaglets can be difficult to detect when they are first born, as eagle nests tend to measure between 4-5 feet wide and are typically 2-4 feet deep, the forest district said. Nests are used on a yearly basis and often require maintenance and additions prior to nesting season.
The eaglets will start to begin branching, or exploring outside the nest, about 10 weeks after they are hatched, and will begin testing their wings at about 3 months of age. Forest district officials said that the eaglets will remain in the area with their parents’ supervision for the rest of the summer and into the fall.
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Joel Craig, a longtime forest district volunteer, and Will County Audubon Society member said in a news release Wednesday that an increasing number of immature bald eagles in the winter indicates the ones are being seen now are residents and not migrants.
Their presence is also evidence that the Will County forest preserves have good, clean water and a healthy fish population to support them year-round, Craig said in the release.
"To see eagles rebound like they have in this area in the past 10 years has been pretty exciting," Craig said.
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