A devastating storm on April 19 brought heartbreaking news for eagle watchers across the country. Strong winds destroyed a well-known bald eagle nest at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in West Virginia, killing three young eaglets who had just hatched in late March.
The eaglets, born between March 20 and March 24 to eagle parents “Belle” and “Scout,” had been closely followed through the NCTC’s live Eagle Cam. Bird lovers watched daily as the young eagles grew under the protective care of their mother. Tragically, video footage from the night of the storm shows the mother bird hunkering down with her chicks just moments before the entire nest suddenly vanished.
According to Randy Robinson, an outreach coordinator at NCTC, the nest collapsed at around 9:59 p.m. due to an unexpected burst of powerful winds, estimated to have reached speeds of 75 mph. Robinson and a colleague later found the remains of the nest scattered across the ground, with all three eaglets lying beneath the tree where the nest had stood nearly 90 feet high.
“It happened so fast, like a microburst,” said one longtime Eagle Cam watcher in a chat on the NCTC website. The winds were so fierce that even experienced eagle watchers were caught off guard.
The loss is especially heartbreaking because the nest, active since 2003, had been a vital home for the eagle pair and had produced many successful broods over the years. Watching the eagles raise their young has been a beloved tradition since the Eagle Cam was first installed in 2006, drawing viewers from across the country each nesting season.
Fortunately, in a forward-thinking move a few years ago, NCTC built a platform nearby in case the original nest was ever damaged. It remains to be seen if Belle and Scout will return next year to rebuild and start a new family.
For now, the eagle-watching community mourns the loss of this year’s three young eaglets — a stark reminder of how powerful and unpredictable nature can be.
