Tuesday, March 11, 2025–10:55 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
As of right now, it does not appear as though it will be a normal nesting season for the eagles at Berry College.
Dr. Alice Suroviec, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Berry College, was a guest on WRGA’s First news with Doug Walker on Tuesday.
There have been sporadic visits from both the male and female eagle, but it’s getting late in the season, and it does not look like any eggs will be laid this year.
“They are eating snacks, dinner at the nest, which indicates that they are not nesting there,” Suroviec said. “However, they may not be nesting someplace else either. It’s not unusual, and the males are the ones who build the nests, so it’s possible he found a spot that is closer to food. We are doing construction on campus, and it’s possible that maybe the construction is too disruptive.”
It is also not unusual for eagles to take a year off from trying to nest.
“Given their lack of success the past few years, it is possible that they, for whatever reason, chose not to,” Suroviec said. “I’m giving a lot of autonomy that they choose not to, but they were just not able to nest this year.”
Of course, anyone can watch the eagles via webcams stationed at the nest. Recently, night vision was added.
“The infrared cameras do not bother them, so they are just operating like normal,” Suroviec added. “You get a real good vision into what a day in the life of an eagle looks like. We’ve seen owls attack the nest. We’ve seen how they go about feeding themselves and their infants. We’ve seen the hatching process. It’s real neat.”
During Tuesday’s interview, we dialed up the eagle cam and saw both eagles in the nest (pictured)
You can watch the eagles at berry.edu/eaglecam.
Berry’s bald eagle couple first appeared on the main campus in the spring of 2012. Since that time, they have continued to nest in the top of a tall pine tree situated between the main entrance and the parking lot of the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center.
It is believed that the bald eagles remain in the area during the summer months and do not migrate as there is plentiful food available from lakes, the Berry quarry and the nearby Oostanaula River. They have occasionally been sighted at or near the nest during the summer, probably to ensure that other animals know it is occupied.
