Bald Eagle Pair Nesting at Barr Lake in Colorado
OutdoorHub 03.07.12
Once again, the nesting pair of bald eagles at Barr Lake State Park have begun what may be the incubation period of future eaglets. If all goes well, the eaglets should hatch around the end of March.
A pair of bald eagles has attended a nest in the wildlife refuge since 1986. During that time, eagles have survived severe storms, loss of nesting trees, and several changes of mates. As of 2011, the Barr Lake bald eagle pair had fledged 42 young from eight different nests. Each year, since 1988, volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory’s Bald Eagle Watch have anxiously awaited the signs of hatching eaglets in early spring. Typically one or two eaglets hatch. If all goes well, the juveniles will fly from the nest in late June and remain in the area with their parents most of the summer.
On Sunday, March 18, a park naturalist will lead a bald eagle hike to the Barr Lake Gazebo to view the eagles. The hike starts at 11 a.m. at the Nature Center.
The best viewing of the eagle nest is from the Barr Lake Gazebo, only a 1.3-mile walk south of the Nature Center into the wildlife refuge. The nest is approximately a quarter mile from the gazebo and is easily seen with binoculars. The Nature Center loans binoculars and features a display about eagles. The Nature Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can purchase park passes and registrations at the Nature Center, which carries a wide variety of children’s books, puzzles, and gadgets; field and hiking guides; natural history books; stuffed animals and puppets; numerous and unique bird items and ornaments; fabulous Barr Lake clothing; and much more. Your purchases support educational programs at Barr Lake because a portion of the proceeds from retail sales comes back to the park.
