Texas 29 bald eagles return to nesting grounds
A bald eagle couple has returned to its nesting area off Texas 29 along the Llano River. The pair had to rebuild its nest after the tree the old one was in collapsed. Photo courtesy of Jim Baines
JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF
LLANO — Lake Buchanan’s local celebrities returned to the Highland Lakes — this time, with more attention focused on them.
The two bald eagles that nest near Texas 29 and the Llano River returned in late September to find the tree with their old nest had collapsed.
Some worried the pair would select a new nesting site farther from the road.
It appeared last week the two had found a new tree to call home, just a little east from their old one.
“Right now, they are sleeping in that tree. You’re guaranteed to see them at first break of light or last light at sunset,” said Annette Gardner, the manager of the Lake Buchanan-Inks Lake Chamber of Commerce. “They just started bringing sticks up.”
However, local photographer Jess Thompson said Oct. 28 there were no signs of the beginnings of a nest.
“Nor did the eagles do any work there this morning,” said Thompson of www.cottonwoodphotography.com. “It is possible that the activity we saw last week was not successful.”
The nest that fell was the duo’s third and had grown to about 800 pounds. The eagles will build a nest for this winter and then add to it each year that they return.
“I’ve been going (to view them) since they came to the road, in 2004, when I moved here,” Gardner said. “I’ve gone every year.”
Gardner posts updates about the eagles on the chamber’s website at www.buchanan-inks.com.
“They’re town celebrities; they’re our entertainment,” she said.
People come to watch the eagles in the fall, usually November, when they are nesting and then in March, when they are fledging.
The eagles have become a large draw as they have wintered in the Highland Lakes.
“In March, we had 1,410 visitors (at the chamber),” Gardner said. “That’s just how many stopped.”
For now, the eagles have returned, but it might be a little while longer before they build a nest and you can see them regularly.
“Once they lay eggs, you can come in Thanksgiving, and somebody is in the nest all the time,” Gardner said. “Right now, you’re lucky to catch them just sitting in the tree.”
jared@thepicayune.com
2 thoughts on “Texas 29 bald eagles return to nesting grounds”
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I live in El Paso but we travel to Austin via Texas 29 occasionally. We just went last week March 2015 and saw one bald eagle sitting in a tree, no nest that I could see. I took a photo. I love stopping there when we go by. Hope to see a new nest soon!!!! Thanks for keeping this blog up.
I would love to be added to any updates that come in regarding the Eagles. I love Texas. I am a ninth genrrTipn Texan and family is of German decent and founded the Cherry Mountain near Fredeeicksburg area