Two young eagles have fledged their nest at Centennial Park in Holly Hill, just in the nick of time. They took their first flights on Sunday and Monday.
Then Tuesday the winds started, and they were fierce. By Wednesday, the nest platform had been tossed around for two days in high winds and finally collapsed.
But there's more to the story. It started several years ago when this pair of eagles took over an osprey nest on a telephone pole near the lake in this small inner city park. This is something that eagles don't typically do, preferring strong, live trees to support their huge and weighty nests. But the City of Holly Hill needed to move that pole, and they worked with the FFWCC (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission) to actually reconstruct the nest on a platform attached in a large pine tree overlooking the lake.
The eagles readily accepted this new nest and have successfully raised their chicks for several years, right in the heart of the city.
Unfortunately, the platform was unable to withstand the wicked winds we saw here this week.
But fortunately, the babies got a good head start and didn't need that old broken nest any more.
It was an exciting time for all.
