There is wonderful news!

And some 'not quite so wonderful news".

A pair of bald eagles appears to be building a nest on the island. At least, I think it is a new nest. I have not seen it before and I first saw it this week. (I may have missed it last summer if it was there, but I am not sure it was there last summer.)

Eagles normally nest in January or February. From what little I have seen of them in the last day, I do not think that they are currently nesting. But they could be. Instead I think the eagles are building the nest now to be used for the first time next winter.

How wonderful is it that we are blessed to have a number of eagles that frequent Lake George to fish? And now it appears that we may also have a pair that is getting ready to nest on the lake!

But, that is also the "not quite so wonderful news" – eagles are the arch enemies of loons!

Our loons on the lake have often come under attack from the eagles. And we have lost more than one loon chick to eagle predation over the years.

Now with eagles nesting on the lake, that means even more danger to our loons.

So begins nature's "battle royale"!

editor's note: see pictures of nest in last month's newsletter