MARCH 2015 UPDATE: It’s now known that the female that is with Dad Norfolk is actually his daughter, banded with the letters HE. She is one of Dad & Mom Norfolk’s offspring from the 2009 nest. Photographers on the ground have observed behavior that suggests Dad and HE have eaglets.

FEBRUARY 2015 UPDATE: It appears Dad Norfolk is no longer mated to DT. The female seen at the new nest is banded. DT was not banded. It will be interesting to find out where this female is from. It is not known how long Dad and this female have been together but photographers noticed the bands in January 2015. It also is not known where DT is.

JANUARY 2015 UPDATE: Dad Norfolk and DT “The Missus” have relocated to private property where they’ve built a nest and will no longer be harassed by the gov’t. The nest is still in their territory but its exact location is not being revealed for obvious reasons. Eagle Nation is hoping for bobbleheads this spring. http://hamptonroads.com/2015/01/norfolk-bald-eagles-relocate-away-airport

The History of the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagles

2002: A pair of Bald Eagles built a nest near the end of a runway at Norfolk Int’l Airport (ORF) in Norfolk, Virginia. A few months later the male was killed when he was struck by a plane at ORF. The nest was removed and so was the tree the nest was built in.

2003: The surviving female found a new mate and they started building a nest at Norfolk Botanical Garden. (NBG)

2004: The pair of Eagles raised two Eaglets during the ’04 nesting season. Both of them fledged on May 31st. The adults remained in the Garden.

2005: In November, NBG teamed with WVEC TV and the Virginia Dept of Game & Inland Fisheries. They installed and sponsored a web cam that allowed viewers the extraordinary opportunity to observe the nesting habits of these majestic birds.

2006: ‘Eagle Cam’ goes live! The Eagle Cam is a great success and soon, thousands of viewers from around the world were watching on a daily basis. They call themselves ‘Eagle Nation.’ Our beloved pair of Eagles became known as Mom & Dad Norfolk.

From 2004 – 2011 the pair raised 19 eaglets successfully.

2011: Sadly, on April 26, 2011, Mom Norfolk was killed when a plane landed on her as she ate at the end of a runway at ORF. She left behind her mate and 3 eaglets who were removed from the nest the following day and taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV).

The 3 eaglets thrived at WCV and were released back into the wild later in 2011.

Dad Norfolk was left without his mate and now, his young were gone,too. After a few months, Dad Norfolk’s search for a new mate began. In September he appeared to be bonding with a beautiful female. She became known as Female #1.

2012: But in January 2012, female #1 was killed when she collided with power lines at NBG.

Almost immediately, Female #2 entered the picture. She didn’t stick around long but she did continue to come and go throughout the 2012 season.

Enter Female #3, aka Dirty Tail or DT. DT quickly became a favorite of Eagle Nation but she also had a tendency to come and go.

On March 7th, Female #4 burst onto the scene and DT disappeared for several weeks. But DT returned for good on April 21st and convinced Dad Norfolk that she was THE ONE.

DT was still a bit immature. She and Dad did not produce any young during the 2012 nesting season. But they tried…and tried…and tried!

Dad and DT continued to bond throughout the year. They were often seen bringing sticks to the nest…even though nesting season was still months away. Dad had finally found his new mate.

But their home and their freedom was about to be stolen from them.

After deciding that the presence of these Eagles is a threat to air traffic at nearby ORF, officials at the airport and the Norfolk City Council have been granted a permit to remove the nest at NBG and any future nests this pair of Eagles build.

The U.S. Dept of Agriculture-Wildlife Services has been observed harassing the Eagles with bright lights, paintball guns and pyrotechnics. Their hope is that the Eagles will move out of NBG and nest farther away from ORF.

This is how our government treats our National Symbol of Strength, Courage and FREEDOM!

The first nests were removed and run through a wood chipper on October, 4, 2012. Branches capable of supporting the weight of a nest were also cut from the trees. Subsequent Nest Destructions: 12-18-12, 01-11-13, 02-08-13, 03-05-13, 03-29-13 and 12-17-13.

After months and months of harassment and 8 nests destroyed…Dad & DT are still in their Garden.

It’s obvious these inhumane tactics aren’t working. And it’s time for them to STOP!

Hasn’t he lost enough?

View the video of the lastest nest removal and destruction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCXfUddzdrY
Video Rating: / 5

The History of the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagles

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