[Tweeters] Fwd: Bald Eagles Perching on Eagle of P-I Globe, and Nest Quest

[Elaine Chuang via Tweeters]

Very sobering, Kersti, to learn details of Avian Influenza-related loss of this year’s BAEA (Bald Eagle) young at Perkins Lane.  Thank you also for the overview of some of what you along with the Urban Raptor Conservancy  https://urbanraptor.org/  do behind the scenes.  We found another dead juvenile (in mid-July, well beyond fledgling stage) below the Mt Pleasant Cemetery nest.  It was salvaged (careful use of gloves, etc) and delivered it to the Burke Museum: it was not tested for Avian Influenza or rodenticides.  

Perhaps there have been previous or will be future “side-by-side" (not necessarily a mated pair, thank you MM) sightings of BAEA up on the tippy-tip of our P-I eagle, but it seems that the most observant eagle-eyes we know of out there (Melissa’s team and Kersti’s observer) made their first observations on December 16, which is into nesting season for our region.  These raptors like to sit high for view and territory, and given that the average adult BAEA weighs 10 to 14 pounds, could it be that the P-I Perch offers the highest, sturdiest / supportive spot anywhere in our area?  

For what it’s worth, in the intervening 4 days (surveying only once a day), I’ve not observed BAEAs at the P-I, nor the nests in the SW Queen Anne Greenbelt or edge of the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.  
May we hear from anyone else in Tweeterdom who has previously caught sight of one or two BAEA on those uplifted wing tips (and the approximate date)?  HNY, all!

Elaine 
Seattle
  elc at uw dot edu


From: Kersti Muul via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2024 9:00 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Tweeters] RE: Bald eagles on PI Globe
 
The Salty's nest pair is not the same pair from past years. Its new occupants include female 5/H (otherwise known as 'Bey' who I released at Hamilton Viewpoint on March 16, 2021) and a male recruited in late 2022. Not her original mate. She took over the Salty's nest in 2023 and attempted to nest but it failed. This year they successfully fledged two chicks (her first chicks). They spend most of their time at Alki, over near Elliot Bay Marina and over on the cranes and lights at Jack Block park and other port properties.

Perkins lane pair had two chicks this year but they died after contracting HPAI. 

Both Salty's pair and Perkins Lane pair are augmenting nests and females spending a lot of time in, and at them. 

The pictures of the eagles on the globe together are fun. Usually folks send me pictures of just one, but on December 16th I was sent a pic of two! 🦅♥️

Kersti E. Muul


From: M. Nakamura via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2024 3:29 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Bald Eagle pair - perching on Eagle on PI Globe
 
I don't know how to sufficiently thank this lovely community for the information, tips, knowledge and enthusiasm (especially Elaine!), and the marvelous photos (Elaine, shout out again) -- I have shared much of this with my coworkers (we will keep our eyes peeled for activity on the PI Globe and when we go for Starbucks) and there may be a future Tweeter or two as a result.  Thank you for your wonderful generosity!

Melissa N.


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
       Elaine


From: Martin Muller via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2024 2:35 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>; Elaine Chuang <elc at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Bald Eagle pair - perching on Eagle on PI Globe
 
Melissa, Elaine et al.,

Cool images of the Bald Eagle pair atop the PI Globe eagle. Thanks for sharing.

One additional pair of Bald Eagles that might be providing one or more adults perching on the PI’s Globe is the West Seattle Salty’s pair. Only 2.3 miles as the eagle flies. In years past I’ve watched members of that pair (from West Seattle), cross Elliott Bay and perch on the “E” atop the Edgewater Hotel. 2.1 miles.

Also, just because you see an adult pair perched near one another doesn’t mean it’s necessarily an established pair. Could be a male and a female from different territories hanging out together, just neighborly-like. Typically, members of opposite sex tolerate one another, while same-sex birds usually are less tolerant of one another.

I always like to consider multiple options.

Martin Muller, Seattle
martinmuller at msn.com <mailto:martinmuller at msn.com>



From: Elaine C
Subject: Fwd: Bald Eagle Pair Perching on the P-I Globe Eagle: NEST QUEST
Date: December 25, 2024 at 11:42:32 AM PST
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu

Happy Christmas, all.  The nest search connected to the pair of BAEA (Bald Eagle) favoring the top of the P-I Globe continues.  Stacey, thank you for pointing us to the BAEA nest near the Magnolia/Perkins Lane shoreline.  I also have an additional one to report, thanks to Douglas M.  This is a large, well-established nest at the edge of the SW Queen Anne Greenbelt, just off Elliott Ave, one long block north of the Fuji Bakery.  It’s high up in a tall Big Leaf Maple which makes it awfully easy to see in winter.  Yesterday at about noon for at least an hour, one adult BAEA sat close to the nest, apparently unperturbed by the staff demonstrating outside Starbucks.  My guess is that it was a female by size and bill / beak “gape”); when it lifted off it departed toward the south.  A bit more photo documentation has been added: 	
	https://www.flickr.com/photos/154614679@N02/albums/72177720322758176 <https://www.flickr.com/photos/154614679@N02/albums/72177720322758176>   

Turning back to the P-I Globe, today mid-Christmas morning, one BAEA was perched there, on the Left Wing (well,yes, it would have been the Right Wing if seen from the other side).  There were none at the Mt. Pleasant nest about 10 miintes later.  This SWQA Greenbelt nest is 0.94 miles from the Globe.  Stacey’s Magnolia/Perkins Lane nest is 2.7 miles away.  To recap the other known nearby nests, the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery nest is 1.9 miles from the Globe and the ones that Larry Hubbell curates near the UW and the Montlake Cut would be about 3.3 miles away (all “flying" miles).

Maybe to others as well, this topic evokes more than a bit of symbolism: no matter how one may feel about the Bald Eagle, don’t you find yourself appreciating that more or less, they mate for life?  And thinking back to a time when "the news was fit to print” are you too smiling that yesterday (what timing!) Prez Biden officially declared Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Bald Eagle) our national bird? 

When you’re in the area, do take a safe (if you’re driving) glance at the top of the historic landmark, the Post-Iintelligencer Globe with its Art Deco eagle, and maybe one or two really magnificent ones as well.

Lois Lane  a.k.a. Elaine Chuang
Seattle
  elc at uw dot edu


From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu>> on behalf of Stacey T 
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2024 1:16 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu> <tweeters at u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Bald Eagle Pair - Perching on Eagle on PI Globe
 
Hi Melissa and Tweets,

In addition to the nest that Elaine described, there is also a known bald eagle nest along the southwest shoreline in Magnolia. The nest is on private property, but can be viewed from the road along Perkins Lane. In past years, the property owners have put up large posters with info about the nest and hatchlings. I’ve seen two eagles coming to and from the nest location often; there are good views of their comings and goings from the bluff along the south meadow in Discovery Park. I’ve seen them carrying large sticks in the direction of their nest as recently as a few weeks ago, so I imagine it’s in use now. So that’s another possibility: the Magnolia pair.

Best,
Stacey

Magnolia, Seattle
(TKO107130 at gmail)


From: Elaine C
Subject: Bald Eagle Pair - Perching on Eagle on PI Globe
Date: December 23, 2024 at 10:52:25 PM PST
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>

Melissa kindly contacted Tweeters Admin about 5 days ago (about the same time others on social media seemed to note) regarding discovery of this iconic … well, iconic-upon-icon view on the Seattle Waterfront.  The print-paper Post Intelligencer (P-I, founded in 1863) was widely beloved, and many were saddened when it shut down in 2009.  I bet I’m not the only one who'll enjoy the symbolism carried by the presence of two adult Bald Eagles (BAEA) atop the P-I's familiar Eagle-Atop-the Globe Emblem!  When Melissa let me know this afternoon that the pair was currently perched there (somehow, perched seems too thin a word for what they do), I headed over to take a look (standing at Western and 2nd Ave West).  
	Photos:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/154614679@N02/albums/72177720322758176 <https://www.flickr.com/photos/154614679@N02/albums/72177720322758176>   

After about an hour, both birds took off to the northwest.  There is a known BAEA nest on the west edge of the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery so I headed there, and about 15 minutes after the pair had departed the P-I Globe, two adult BAEA passed quite close to that nest, continuing east.  Five minutes later, an adult brought a small branch to the nest, then repeated that behavior twice more, cheered on by some crows.  So, Melissa, that’s one possibility: the Mt. Pleasant nest is 1.9 miles from the P-I Globe (flying miles).  West Point at Discovery Park = 4.6 miles.  Montlake Cut = 3.3 miles.  There could be nest sites along the Magnolia shore.  To find out which nest for sure, next time they’re at the P-I, perhaps we can station someone to signal "Eagles Aloft!” and have observers stationed at these nests!  Thanks again, Melissa, for picking up and passing along something quite special, just right for the Holidays.  Best wishes to Tweets, All!

Elaine Chuang
Seattle
  elc at uw dot edu


From: ... on behalf of M. Nakamura via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>>
Sent: Monday, December 23, 2024 1:12 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu> <tweeters at u.washington.edu <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>>
Subject: [Tweeters] Bald Eagle Pair - Perching on Eagle on PI Globe
 
My coworkers and I have been noticing a pair of adult Bald Eagles perched on top of the wings of the eagle on the P-I globe on the waterfront in Seattle.  We first noticed them on 12/16 - late morning (10 a.m.); they flew off but returned in the afternoon, 3 p.m. or so.  No shows on 12/17 (rainy) but we saw one again on Wednesday in the afternoon, and today again (12/23) at lunchtime, both birds on top of the eagle's wings.  We are curious if there are any knowledgeable birders out there who know if this pair may be living in the area right now?
We haven't been able to take any good photos (our office on lower Queen Anne on Denny isn't that close and none of us have good equipment).

Melissa N


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