Manassas Bald Eaglet Preparing To Fly

It was just last month that this young bald eagle hatched from its egg near the Manassas airport. Typically Bald Eagles lay more than one egg, but this appears to be the only one that survived. My hope is that the construction that took place in late February and early March did not somehow spook the adults while they were sitting on the eggs, which may have caused one to crack or be damaged. In any case, let's celebrate the new guy (or girl).

Today I spent a few hours far across the street from the nest and was able to capture this video of the eaglet preening. He/she is quite big already! Check out the second video below and you'll see how wide its wingspan is. It's almost as large as the parents' wingspans! We're guessing the eaglet is about 6-7 weeks old. According to this informative site, eaglets typically start flying around 10-12 weeks after birth. It sure looks like it wants to now.

It was quite windy outside, but you'll see how big its wingspan is at the beginning of this video:

Here's a still picture of the baby (juvenile).

And one of the parents returning to the nest, possibly to feed the guy (girl).

If you visit the nest, please stay on the opposite side of the road so you will not disturb the birds.

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