Learning to Fly
Norfolk
Botanical Garden baby eaglets preparing to take flight –
Don't'
miss the chance to see the eaglets before they leave the
nest!
NORFOLK
– The Norfolk Botanical Garden baby eaglets are
growing up. The eaglets, born in mid-March, are now nine
or ten weeks old. According to experts who have been tracking
this eagle family, the eaglets should begin flying on their
own in the next week.
The eagles have been
very active in past weeks keeping up with the hearty appetites
of their babies. In the early stages, eaglets can gain as
much as a pound a week. Now the time has come for the babies
to begin the process of taking care of themselves. In the
next few weeks after their first flight, the babies will
work to become better adapted to flying and food getting.
The eagle parents play a large role in their quick adaptation
by providing less and less food for the eaglets so they
are forced to get it on their own.
The eagles, a male
and female pair, relocated to the Garden from Norfolk International
Airport in early December 2003 and nested in a beautiful
loblolly pine located in the area between Renaissance Court
and the Matson Garden . An excellent view of the nest is
available from NATO Tower .
Norfolk Botanical
Garden offers FREE (with general admission) eagle programs
in NATO Tower on Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 2 p.m.
********
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.
Visit
our website at www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
