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NORFOLK
- Norfolk Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the arrival
of our newest resident, a baby American Bald Eagle! The
eaglet hatched around the 19th of March, and at just four
weeks old already has a wing span of close to 4 feet. The
chick is just starting to poke its head over the top of the
nest, and its flight feathers are already beginning to come
in. In just a couple of weeks the baby bird will start ‘branching
out', or building its wing muscles to get ready to take flight.
When the eaglet is ready it will take its first step – off
of a tree limb 80 feet in the air! Now's the time to come
out and see our new addition, its growing very quickly, and
it's not very often humans get to watch the progress of an
eaglet as it matures.
The
American Bald Eagles first made their home at Norfolk Botanical
Garden last year, when they moved from Norfolk International
Airport. They currently reside in an 85-foot Loblolly Pine
Tree adjacent to Renaissance Court. The enormous nest
can be seen from several places in the Garden, but can be
best viewed from NATO Tower. Bald Eagles rarely build their
nests where they are visible to the public, so this is truly
a unique opportunity!
If
you'd like to learn more about the Bald Eagles, special talks
are scheduled most weekends. Call or stop by Baker Hall Visitor
Center for days and times.
This
spring at Norfolk Botanical Garden, our 2 baby Great Horned
Owls are also a real hoot! The new arrivals are about 6 to
8 weeks old and can be found hanging around with an adult
by the wooden bridge in the Native Plant Garden. As they grow,
the juvenile owls can be seen ‘hop flying' – hopping and flapping
on the ground to build their wing muscles before they take
their first flights. The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl
in Virginia, and frequently can be heard at night in neighborhoods
throughout the Tidewater area.
Still
want to see more feathered friends in flight? Get a closer
look at the more than 95 species of birds in our big backyard
at the 5th annual Birds & Blossoms Festival May 5th through
8th. Come celebrate the birds and blossoms of southeastern
Virginia through a variety of excursions, explorations and
tours. Visit our website www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
for registration and more information.
**PLEASE
NOTE THE ATTACHED PHOTOS ARE ADULT EAGLES. BECAUSE OF
ITS SIZE, THE EAGLET IS NOT YET VISIBLE OUTSIDE THE NEST.**
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Norfolk Botanical Garden
is located at 6700 Azalea Garden Road, Exit 279 from I-64.
Garden hours are 9 am-5 pm daily. Admission is $6/adults,
$5/seniors, $4/children (6-16), and children under 5 free.
Boat tours are $3 ( Children under 5 free). For more
information, contact Norfolk Botanical Garden at (757) 441-5838.
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