Back in March, CityNews brought you the story of the first documented bald eagle nest in Toronto. A pair of bald eagles had chosen the area to build their nest, and now, two eaglets have been spotted.
At the time, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) asked members of the public not to disclose the location if they came upon it, as the attention would be detrimental to the nest’s success.
But wildlife photographers have been hoping to catch a glimpse of the eaglets once hatched, and at least one has been successful in doing so.
Joseph Tavares, who has been a wildlife amateur photographer for the past five years, said he has been keeping an eye on the nest since it was reported in March.
“I’ve been going back, watching, watching, watching. And then because of the weather I haven’t gone, and yesterday I decided to go. I went in deep fog, when I went it was completely foggy, so I just waited until the sun came out and then I saw the two eaglets,” he told CityNews on Thursday.
“I can confirm that this pair of bald eagles have successfully produced two healthy eaglets. History in the making indeed,” he wrote to CityNews.
CityNews reached out to the TRCA and officials confirmed the existence of the two eaglets.
“Toronto and Region Conservation Authority can confirm that two eaglets are being raised in Toronto. Maintaining their habitat and ensuring their welfare are critical priorities for us, which is why we request that all media outlets continue to keep their location undisclosed,” said Karen McDonald, senior manager of Restoration and Infrastructure at TRCA, in an emailed statement.
Tavares said he, along with two other photographers, saw the two eaglets on Wednesday and that they appear to be around two to three weeks old and healthy.
While CityNews has not disclosed the location of the nest, Tavares said he figured it from other media reports.
However, Tavares said he has kept the nest a secret as well.
The bald eagle nearly went extinct in Ontario half a century ago due to the use of pesticides. Experts have said this nesting is a reflection of decades of habitat rehabilitation along the Toronto shoreline.
In recent years, wildlife experts have seen the numbers returned to much of their former range.
With files from Audra Brown, CityNews