Look who has a bird’s-eye view of Junction construction

| Development | West Seattle news | Wildlife

Just out of the WSB inbox from “d“:

I wish I had had a camera with me this AM –

About 9, I was leaving the vet clinic across the street from the [Mural, ex-Petco parking lot] construction crane area and heard a baby eagle SCREAMING! It was perched at the end of the huge yellow crane – no mom in sight. I was so distracted by it as I drove by peering through my open roof that a construction guy yelled down to me to watch where I was driving! When I stopped and told him what I was looking at a few of the other construction guys gave me the impression that the eaglet has been hanging out there. Seems odd, but actually the crane has the same rough configuration of bare snags that eagles like to hunt from. I don’t know if the little guy (not so little actually) will be there again, but maybe folks could keep an eye out for it.

It was a VERY loud baby bird – probably calling on mom, as usual. :)

Mike July 25, 2008 (11:49 am)

Oh, somebody should notify the department of wildlife. Construction crew can’t disturb the nest if it is one.

Kat July 25, 2008 (12:43 pm)

When I worked in Dutch Harbor Alaska, we used to have that problem all the time. We had to move the crane frequently so the eagles wouldn’t try to build a nest on top of it.

Westwood Resident July 25, 2008 (2:25 pm)

Maybe we can entice the eagles to build nests on ALL of those cranes!!!

JumboJim July 25, 2008 (3:56 pm)

It is very, very unlikely that there is a nest there. The nest takes a long time to build and is usually worked on between Dec. and March. Bald Eagle young have already left their nests (with the exception of one new nest near UW) and this might be a young bird who is just a bit confused.
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Another possibility is that the bird is actually an Osprey (often mistaken for eagles) who is considering the place as a nest site for next year. They LOVE to nest on cell phone towers and the like. I imagine a crane would look good also. There are 2-3 Osprey nests visible between the West Seattle bridge and I-5, along the Spokane St viaduct.

rs July 28, 2008 (10:50 am)

I live right by there…and most of the time they are Peregrin falcons. Theres a pair that sits up there and scream a lot, and then fly off to kill some pigeons. MMMMmmm Pigeon

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