Love is in the air: DC's iconic bald eagle couple expecting hatchlings soon
The Brief
Bald eagles Mr. President and Lotus are expecting, said D.C. Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist Dan Rauch.
The eagles gained a large following because of a 24/7 web cam that captured their activity while living in a previous nest in years past.
It's the latest chapter in a remarkable comeback story for America's national bird.
WASHINGTON - Valentine's Day may have been last month but at the National Arboretum, love is still in the air – literally.
What we know
You can expect more of the nation's bird to be flying above the Capitol before long. Reason being, as first reported by the Washington Post, D.C.'s favorite eagle couple, Mr. President and Lotus, appear to be expecting again.
"We got to see an eagle kind of standup and they shuffled their feet around a little bit, and they'll actually dip their beak down to maneuver their egg to roll it and get proper position and sit back down again," explained Dan Rauch, fisheries and wildlife biologist for D.C. "Eagles are the ultimate conservation story."
Dig deeper
Back in the 1960s, Rauch said the country was down to fewer than 500 pairs of breeding eagles in the lower 48 states. However, because of pesticide bans and conservation efforts, the eagles came back.
There are now more than 70,000 breeding pairs in the lower 48, Rauch said, and he told FOX 5 that in the District, there are at least three nests in D.C.-proper and 26 nests in the region overall.
What's next
Rauch said Mr. President and Lotus' egg (or eggs) are likely to hatch between April 9 and 11.
The Source
Dan Rauch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Footage of sea lion found wandering 30 miles away from coastline sparks outcry: 'This instantly made my heart so sad'
The effects of humans on the climate are increasingly dire, and with social media, we can see the impact firsthand. An Instagram video has garnered attention from concerned wildlife lovers, showing a sea lion 30 miles from the coast to which it belongs. This heartbreaking video was shared by Washington Post climate coverage (@postclimate) and shows a lone sea lion wandering the dry landscape of Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. The text in the video reads, "According to a regional director for Chile's National Fisheries Service, the sea lion was likely searching for food." While the Professional Association of Diving Instructors reports that sea lions can be out of water for extended periods with no problem, it is abnormal for the animals to be so far from their stomping grounds, as proved by locals' and professionals' reaction to seeing it. Commenters on the post shared similar shock. "This instantly made my heart so sad," one said. Someone else added, "We're watching the climate crisis, and the demise of all of the innocent, magnificent creatures that had nothing to do with it." The sea lion's hunger led it to territory where it did not belong. As a sea lion's diet consists entirely of marine life, per NOAA Fisheries, this one's journey signifies the dark impact of issues such as overfishing, resource shortages, pollution, and habitat destruction. Sea lions elsewhere have exhibited similar strange behaviors as a result of climate change. In California in 2023, a boy was bitten by a sea lion while swimming. Though sea lions are not to be considered friends — as is true for any wild animal — this one was acting strangely, with twitching eyes and a lethargic demeanor, likely because of toxic algae nearby. These experiences with sea lions highlight how pollution, habitat destruction, and the overheating planet have trickle-down effects that harm everyone. Fortunately, the sea lion was brought back to its home and joined its herd. While a positive end to the creature's story, the work is far from done in protecting wildlife. To combat the climate crisis, first and foremost, you can get educated and inform those around you. From there, actionable steps include quitting single-use plastics, not littering, and switching to more eco-friendly energy sources. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
No eaglets this time for D.C.'s most famous bald eagle couple
D.C.'s most famous winged couple — two bald eagles — were left with an empty nest this spring, disappointing those who had hoped to see them produce eaglets. Mr. President and Lotus — short for Lady of the United States — previously had several years of successful egg laying and hatching at a nest about 70 feet up in a white oak tree on the sprawling grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast Washington. This spring, experts thought Mama Lotus had laid at least one egg, and maybe two, and eaglets were expected to hatch in early April. But recently, after observing the eagle pair for weeks, the city's wildlife biologist, Dan Rauch, declared they had produced no offspring this season. He couldn't say definitively what happened to the eggs or possible eaglets that hatched. 'It's all unknown,' said Rauch. 'Everything seemed to be working fine. They seemed to be good, just as they had in the past. It is just a big mystery.' Some possibilities: A raccoon could have gotten into the nest and eaten the eaglets. An owl or a hawk may have swooped in and gotten a chick when the parents were out of the nest gathering food. Or the egg (or eggs) simply didn't hatch. Typically, experts do an annual 'eagle flyover' in a helicopter for a bird's-eye view of the nest, which overlooks the Langston Golf Course, to try to learn more. But after the fatal midair collision of a commercial airplane and a helicopter in January at Reagan National Airport, there have been restrictions on helicopters in the area, and experts weren't able to do the flyover. Plus, there's no longer a 24-hour live feed from a web camera in a tree near the nest to give wildlife lovers and experts a close-up view. Rauch has done his observations and analysis from the ground using a lens scope and binoculars. He's found the best position to see the eagle pair is along the tee box of the golf course's 15th hole. Earlier this spring, there were signs the pair appeared to be tending to a nest. Bald eagles have a 34- to 36-day gestation period. At one point, Rauch said, he noticed Lotus was 'sitting up higher in the nest,' presumably covering chicks that had possibly hatched. A few times, he saw Mr. President, also known as Mr. P, and Lotus flying together — a good sign they were tending to the nest and possible eaglets. But a few weeks later, there were no signs of the parents at the nest. Eventually, he noticed a new eagle, possibly a 4-year-old female, that should not have been in the nest pop its head up. 'At that point,' Rauch said, 'all signs were that the nest had failed.' The 4-year-old, Rauch said, was probably passing through the area and stopped at the nest. Rauch said he saw Mr. President in mid-May at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, not far from the nest at the arboretum. He was trying to steal fish from ospreys. 'He'd harass them in hopes of a dropped catch,' Rauch said. As for Lotus, he hasn't seen her in weeks. Bald eagles have made a hugely successful comeback across the country and in the D.C. region due to several factors: bans on pesticides, the passage of the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s, improvements to their habitats, and clean air and water efforts. Nationally, there were 71,000 breeding pairs of bald eagles in the Lower 48 based on data from 2018 to 2019 — a major comeback from the 1960s, when there were fewer than 500 breeding pairs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in 2007, but they remain protected under several federal laws. The bald eagle officially became the national bird last December when President Joe Biden signed a bill. In the D.C. region, Rauch said this spring there were 23 other active bald eagle nests. One nest, located at the northern end of Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve in Alexandria, Virginia, had three eaglets hatch this year, Rauch said, making it the third year in a row there were triplets at the nest. At the arboretum, Mr. President has quite a legacy. He and his original partner — First Lady — met in December 2013 and built a nest that winter near the arboretum's azalea garden. It marked the first time a bald eagle pair had set up a nest at the arboretum in more than 60 years. Experts said bald eagles have adapted to downtown areas like D.C. and become more equipped to handle noise and air traffic. Mr. President and First Lady had their first eaglet in 2014 and went on to have a total of eight hatch. They had their last chick in 2018, and it later died of West Nile virus. Bald eagles typically mate for life as long as they're successful having eaglets together. But if there's a problem, they're known to switch up and find new partners. Mr. President's relationship with First Lady became rough after they failed to produce more offspring. First Lady would take off in warmer months and come back in the fall. During one of her trips away, Mr. President had other female suitors in the nest. At times, First Lady would chase off her mate's suitors with her 'talons out,' flying toward the nest at 50 to 60 mph, Rauch said. The two reconciled, but she laid no more eggs. Then on Valentine's Day 2022, she flew the coop for good. The next day, Lotus moved in. About two years ago, the pair moved to a new nest overlooking the golf course, about a mile as the eagle flies from their old nest. Experts decided not to install another camera at their new abode, which is in a more secluded, wooded area of the arboretum. Lotus is now 8 years old, and Mr. P is believed to be 16 or 17 — a bit on the older side for bald eagles, which typically live to be about 20, Rauch said. 'I'll be looking to see if I can find them together again,' he said. 'Hopefully, they try again next year.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
More than 160 affordable housing units opened at old Mission Valley hotel
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — More than 160 affordable housing units opened last month in Mission Valley after the completion of a project to rehabilitate an aged extended-stay hotel and convert it into rental apartments. The San Diego Housing Commission broke ground on the project, referred to as Presidio Palms, last fall as part of regional efforts to expand long-term, supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness by repurposing underutilized buildings. The more than $80 million project at the Hotel Circle property was supported in large part by funds made available through California's Homekey program, an initiative to support construction of a broad range of housing for people experiencing homelessness. San Diego approved its controversial trash fee: What's next? All of the units created at Presidio Palms will be allocated to people through the Regional Task Force on Homelessness' Coordinated Entry System, which screens and matches those experiencing homelessness with available housing options based on their needs. According to SDHC, the residents at Presidio Palms will also receive federally-funded housing vouchers, like Section 8, to support rental costs. Besides the units, the facility was also retrofitted to include space for on-site services, such as mental and behavioral health support, employment and skills training, substance use services, and case management. It is also close by to public transit stops that allow people to easily get to the Fashion Valley and Old Town Metropolitan Transit System hubs. 'With support from the state's Homekey program and strong local investment, 161 San Diegans now have a safe place to call home—along with the supportive services they need to stay housed,' San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said Thursday, celebrating the opening of the complex. 'Presidio Palms shows what's possible when we act with urgency and work together to deliver housing that ends homelessness,' he continued. Concerns grow over early plans to build in South Park canyon According to the commission, Presidio Palms' more than 200 residents across 161 households began moving into the building on May 27. It brings the total number of supportive housing units created in the city using Homekey funds up to 608. More than a half-dozen other affordable housing complexes managed by the Housing Commission are in development, which would add an extra 1,102 deed-restricted and supportive housing units to its portfolio by 2027. 'Today, Presidio Palms is a home and a source of hope for many of our previously unhoused neighbors,' SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. 'Reaching this point is possible because of collaboration among all levels of government as well as local organizations.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
