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Ravens and Eagles in the Skies Above Washington DC!

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Capital Properties DC AB15253

If you don't live in Washington, you probably think that the city is filled with monuments and government workers and nothing else - but we actually have an ecosystem that is friendly to wild animals - and not just the urban kind.  Birds are returning to the skies above the District. Eagles returned to D.C. for the first time in 50 years in 2015 - so now there are three nests in Washington!  And nests mean eaglets! 

The first nest was speculated—and later confirmed—to be in the National Arboretum and then another one was discovered at the Metropolitan Police Department's training facility academy. And now, a third has been discovered at the West Campus of St. Elizabeth’s.  The people monitoring the nest at the National Arboretum expect eaglets to hatch as early as today. 

And now an even rarer bird has made an appearance. There is a pair of ravens nesting in D.C. for the first time in a century.  

Two birds, one male and one female, were spotted nesting along the Potomac River, according to the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment.  Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Dan Rauch calls the return of the ravens and eagles "two big milestones just in the last few years."

He told NBC, "It's a good barometer for environmental health. It's also a good barometer for those species in general."

The D.C. Department of Energy & Environment is keeping the ravens' location secret, so that they can nest in peace. The baby ravens are due early April. Baltimore may have the football team thanks to Edgar Allan Poe, but we have the real deal! 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DC DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT 

 

Comments (43)

Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Lise. Great news about the new nests! Enjoy your day.

Mar 19, 2016 10:36 PM
Blatt + Cutino
Coldwell Banker Realty - Monterey, CA
Broker-Associate 831/206-8070*Call today*

I will be headed to DC next week to see all of those monuments! I am an avid bird watcher too and would really love to catch a glimspe of these! Thanks for sharing!

Mar 19, 2016 10:37 PM
Blatt + Cutino
Coldwell Banker Realty - Monterey, CA
Broker-Associate 831/206-8070*Call today*

Also, do you happen to have a recommendation for Sunday brunch?

Mar 19, 2016 10:38 PM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Lise. I think that nature taking its course really matters. These birds are majestic: even the ravens and desrve their privacy and to thrive and I am really afraid of birds.

Mar 19, 2016 11:45 PM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Patricia Kennedy - I completely missed the big news!!! CONGRATULATIONS on your 3 million mark - that is amazing! WOW - and thanks for including my post in your favorites.  I am so busy with this market that I missed your big event. Wish I had seen it happen!

Mar 20, 2016 12:17 AM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Angelica Blatt - welcome to DC - what kind of food do you like and where will you be staying? How long are you here for and how many people coming with you? ages etc? 

Mar 20, 2016 12:18 AM
Blatt + Cutino

We will be there for a week and stayiing at the JW MArriott. We have 7 in our party with 3 kids. My husband is vegan! Thanks!

Mar 20, 2016 10:11 PM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Bruce Brockmeier - thanks for your comments - I loved visiting Huntington Beach last spring for a KW event.  I have a picture of some birds of paradise that I took on my iphone that I keep as my phone screen saver! I loved the weather and vegetation so much! 

Mar 20, 2016 12:21 AM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Sheila Anderson - did you watch the Birds as a child? You are such an animal lover that I am surprised that birds bother you- although I don't like seeing big flocks hanging around my house - I certainly saw The Birds! spooky

Mar 20, 2016 12:22 AM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Endre Barath, Jr. - you are so right - and those birds definitely deserve our protection!

Mar 20, 2016 12:23 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Lise. No I never watched "The Birds" but was attacked by one twice.

Mar 20, 2016 12:39 AM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

Great post!  I can see why Patricia highlighted it this week!

Mar 20, 2016 12:48 AM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Sheila Anderson - that is awful! No wonder you don't like birds. My mother used to talk about how she had a rooster who would peck her on the top of her head! She didn't like chickens as you can imagine!

Mar 20, 2016 12:55 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Wow - that is amazing.  I love birds ... and all of nature. They left for a reason and they returned for a reason. They have inner guidance  and use it!  Their survival depends upon it.

Mar 20, 2016 01:36 AM
Michael J. Perry
KW Elite - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

I thought you were reporting an NFL game between Baltimore and Philly ?

Mar 20, 2016 01:46 AM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

It's encouraging to hear that the birds are making a comeback in DC. Sad they've been absent for so many years.

Mar 20, 2016 02:44 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I read a story about our rising eagle population not too long ago.  Need to check out the eagle cam.

Mar 20, 2016 03:26 AM
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

Sports news: Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles have moved to DC.
Wow, that's 3 football teams including the Washington Redskins.

Mar 20, 2016 09:03 AM
Michele Connors
The Overton Group, LLC Pitt & Carteret County - Greenville, NC
Your Eastern North Carolina Realtor

This is sweet, I do hope the babies make a grand entrance and that they stay protected so they can establish and hopefully multiply ! We need our eco-systems !

Mar 22, 2016 01:30 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much for sharing your photographs.

Debbie Reynolds commented that she will be in DC for the May NAR meetings. You should blog about the places to see and things for attendees to do.

Mar 22, 2016 11:54 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thank you for sharing the exciting news that there are E agles' nests in the DC area.

Mar 24, 2016 10:14 PM