Bald Eagles Nest Again in Lake County
In the county where I reside, Lake County, Illinois, there is nothing left that would pass as wilderness to anyone who really cares about wilderness. Still, all may not yet be lost for wild things here. After an absence of over 100 years, Bald Eagles are now nesting in the county.
The nest is above Nippersink Lake, in the far northwest corner of Lake County. The spot where they have built their nest is actually in a suburban residential area, in the town of Fox Lake, the kind of place that I would tend to think of as ruined by too much development. But the Eagles seem to think it will do.
I saw the nest and the eagles this past weekend when the bird club I belong to went on a field trip of the lakes of the county. Another birder had spotted it some days before and told the trip leader about it. We came into the neighborhood in a caravan of cars, and had to stand almost at somebody’s front doorstep to get a good view of them. Fortunately, the residents were friendly. They were thrilled to have eagles nesting so close by, and tolerant of the people who came to see them.
Only time will tell if the nest will succeed. I have a feeling they are up against pretty long odds.