Dulles Greenway Eagles

10/10/2026

Two eagles make their presence known when they take the scenic tour of Goose Creek. Will these two beauties stop by to check out the nest this week?
From October through January, bald eagles in our region begin focusing on building and maintaining their nests. In years past, Rosa and Martin were already hard at work in September! Of course, we all know what an exceptional pair they were!
Egg laying and incubation take place from January through April. The eagle pair alternates sitting on the eggs, ensuring constant protection and warmth until the eggs hatch, typically in 35 to 40 days.
After hatching, eaglets begin their first flights approximately 12 weeks later. Typically, these young eagles remain near the nest for several weeks following fledging, as they continue to depend almost entirely on their parents for food. Eventually, they move on to learn the lessons of eagle life on their own. A bittersweet moment for us.

10/05/2026

MYTH MONDAY!
Myth: Mating Happens in the Air During Cartwheeling
Before the start of each nesting season, Bald Eagles engage in a display of aerial acrobatics known as cartwheeling as part of the courtship process. It’s a dangerous maneuver that requires excellent flying skills and a strong grip. It’s believed that this maneuver helps eagles determine the health, strength, and suitability of a potential mate as it will pertain to raising the young. Even pairs that have been together for several years go through this exercise each season and it can result in rejection.
One of the most common misconceptions is that mating happens in the air during cartwheeling. That is not the case. The act of copulation either happens in the nest, on a branch, or even on the ground.
Eagle pairs generally mate throughout much of the year but it becomes more frequent and intense when eagles are at or near peak fertility. Frequent mating strengthens their bond to each other and increases the chance of fertile eggs.
Source: National Eagle Center EAGLE 101

10/01/2026

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL RACCOON APPRECIATION DAY!
Every year on October 1st, International Raccoon Appreciation Day encourages people to learn more about raccoons and show appreciation for them. The day also encourages people to protect the raccoon’s natural habitat.
RACCOON FUN FACTS
1. Raccoons Are Highly Intelligent
Studies show raccoons can remember solutions to tasks for up to three years, and these incredible animals have the cognitive abilities of a young child! Raccoons use their sharp minds to solve puzzles, open latches, and adapt to changing environments.
2. Raccoons Are Nature’s Little Engineers
Raccoons have dexterous front paws with hypersensitive touch receptors, making them incredibly skilled at manipulating objects. They’re capable of turning doorknobs, untying knots, and even fishing for food in water.
3. Their Famous “Washing” Habit Has a Purpose
Ever seen a raccoon dunk their food in water? This behavior, often mistaken as “washing,” actually enhances their tactile sense, helping them gather more information about what they’re eating.
4. Raccoons Are Family-Oriented
While raccoons are mostly solitary animals, female raccoons are dedicated mothers. They raise their kits (babies) alone, teaching them essential survival skills like climbing and foraging. Kits stay with their mothers for about a year before venturing out on their own, proving that family ties are strong in the raccoon world.
5. Raccoons Are Primarily Crepuscular
While raccoons are primarily crepuscular animals, meaning they’re active at dawn and dusk, and nocturnal, meaning active at night, they occasionally venture out in the daytime.
Don’t be alarmed if you see a raccoon out during the day! In some urban environments, like New York City, raccoons have fewer predators, so it’s not unusual for these opportunistic mammals to be outside during the day.
Additionally, mother raccoons are often seen scavenging for food during the day and are not rabid, just hungry.
6. Raccoons Are Excellent Swimmers
While raccoons are opportunistic feeders, enjoying their favorite foods like fruits, seeds, nuts, birds’ eggs, and plants, they’re also excellent swimmers and hunt fish, frogs, and crayfish. They can swim up to 3 miles per hour!
Source: WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION

09/28/2026

MYTH MONDAY!
Myth: Bald Eagles Can Fly Above a Storm
Horrible weather is something all of us must deal with, be it rain, snow, wind, etc. Storms are always going to be an occasional problem. But what about for Bald Eagles? What do they do in bad weather?
There is a bit of a romanticized notion that during a storm a Bald Eagle will fly high above it to escape. Could a Bald Eagle do that? Maybe. Will they? It's incredibly unlikely. Most average storm cells can reach altitudes of 6 miles (higher than a Bald Eagle can fly and still breathe), with some massive supercells hitting altitudes of over 11 miles. Bald Eagles are very energy efficient birds, only spending energy when they must, and flying over a storm when you can just hunker down and weather it out isn't energy efficient.
When a storm comes Bald Eagles tend to simply find a protected space, in a grove of trees or perhaps tucked up against a hill or bluff and wait it out. It is far easier and safer to wait out a storm than it is to brave the weather and fight the wind, snow, and other horrible things bad weather can bring in flight. You will occasionally see Bald Eagles flying during storms, but that's typically a last resort. Something forced that bird to move, and it is looking to get to safety out of the weather as soon as it can.
Source: National Eagle Center EAGLE 101
Photo: Rosa perched during a rain storm 5-4-2022

09/25/2026

⚠🦌 A SEASONAL REMINDER ABOUT LEAD-FREE HUNTING 🦌⚠
October is knocking on the door and that means that deer hunting season is not too far away. As such, this is a perfect time to reminder the public about the dangers of lead to eagles and to encourage hunters to enjoy the hunt but to do so by making the switch to lead-free am******on.
Now that DDT is no longer an active environmental concern for eagles, their population has completely rebounded! It is an incredible conservation success story for the United States! But threats to eagles do still exist in the form of human activity and one of the easiest threats to eliminate is lead. As we know, lead is a toxic metal. But it is also soft and relatively cheap making it the go to for bullet manufacturing for well over a century. However, for deer hunting, it brings with it an unintended consequence - Bald Eagle poisoning.
Many studies have shown that gut piles from field dressed deer harvested using lead bullets are often contaminated with dozens of tiny lead fragments (soft metal), and it doesn't take much to fatally poison an eagle - just 85mg! When an eagle finds a gut pile, they don't meticulously pick out those fragments, but rather gulp it all down quickly. Their stomach acid is powerful and they can absorb that lead directly into their bloodstream leading to a slow, agonizing death.
As always, we encourage hunters to make the switch to lead-free am******on. If you know deer hunters, please offer them a reminder. And also remember that eagles hunt by sight and won't eat a meal they can't see. As an additional safety precaution, be sure to cover gut piles with dirt and leaves. With just a little bit of effort and mindfulness, humans can enjoy the hunt and protect our National Bird and National Symbol at the same time! THANK YOU!
Source: National Eagle Center EAGLE 101
Photo of A*M eating a raccoon. 10-29-2024

09/24/2026

HAPPY BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS DAY!
Bluebird of Happiness Day arrives every September 24, inviting us to pause and appreciate the simple joys in life. These vibrant birds, long symbols of joy and hope, remind us that happiness can be found in everyday moments.
Wishing you a day filled with smiles, laughter, and the joy of bluebirds.”
May the bluebirds of happiness always find their way to your heart.”

09/23/2026

Wildlife Wednesday

Not all of the wildlife around us walks or crawls, some of it takes flight.

Dragonflies are an important part of our wetland ecosystems. These fast-flying insects help keep insect populations balanced and depend on clean, healthy waterways to complete their life cycle.

As you travel along the Greenway, take a moment to look around the wetlands and natural areas nearby. You may catch a glimpse of these incredible flyers at work.

09/21/2026

MYTH MONDAY!
Myth #1: Bald Eagles Can’t Swim
Myth #2: Bald Eagles Can’t Unlock Their Talons at Will
People are often quite surprised to learn that eagles can swim. It isn't the most graceful (or even planned) activity for an eagle, but sometimes the pursuit of food (fish) results in an unexpected dip in the drink. This also ties into the misconceptions concerning how much weight an eagle can carry. Catching a fish too large to fly back to shore (often only 3-4 lbs.) is common, and a hungry Bald Eagle is not eager to simply let that fish go. So, they drag it through the water to shore using what is best described as a butterfly-style stroke.
One final note has to do with another misconception, that being that eagles often drown because they cannot release their talons at will and are pulled under by a too-large fish. This is false. Bald Eagles can open and close their talons at will, and drowning due to a fish is either the result of exhaustion if they were too far from shore or their own stubbornness and refusal to let the big one get away.
Source: National Eagle Center Eagle 101
Video clip: Mississippi River Flyway Cam 7-30-2025 courtesy of Raptor Resource Project- explore.org

09/18/2026

What a hoot to see the sweet interaction between two owlsome Barred Owls!

Dulles Greenway Eagle Cam: Guess Whoo Visited the Nest! 9-17-2026...

09/17/2026

Whoo were this evening's visitors? Not one but two Barred Owls!