Take a Stunning Look Inside the Nest of Twin Eaglets Born Along the Susquehanna River

Over the last few weeks our Wildlife Photographer, William Straite has shared some amazing pics. The Eagle feeding frenzies, nesting parents, and nests under attack galleries are all award worthy. But here's the crème de la crème, a rare and stunning look inside the nest of twin eaglets born about three weeks ago along the Susquehanna River.

We've documented the time William spends in the field scouting Eagle nests, he keeps tabs on 6 or 7 locations, but he also logs lots of miles on the road. He travelled over 400 miles and spent 48 hours to find a nest you could see into from above while not disturbing the eagle family.  While many nests are visible and you can see the adults, getting a shot inside an active nest is difficult to say the least.

The nest itself is about two years old, the parents continue to bolster the upper sides of the home to keep the Eaglets from falling out. During the cool days we are currently experiencing the adults will snuggle with babies to provide extra warmth. Keeping the young fed is a full time job as they will eat 7 or 8 times a day, with the parents capturing food and breaking it into small pieces to feed them.

While the twins do have some playful moments, they are often seen staggering like drunks as they try to learn use of their wings not just for flying, but for balance and strength.

Soon they will begin "Branching" whereby they jump from the nest to branches and back all while flapping their wings to again strengthen them.

It'll be about 10 or 12 weeks before they take their first flight and then another month or so before they begin to fly over water and fields in an attempt to learn foraging for food on their own.

While William took over 6000 photos, one in particular will make you stop and think. It shows the Eaglets in their nest with a discarded plastic bag.

Sadly, the Bald Eagles remain at risk from the human species. This Eaglet sits in his own "crib" chewing on a slide lock plastic bag, which could quite possibly cause it to become sick or worse. When will we finally learn, will we be the only species on the planet to make ourselves extinct?

When William says, "these are probably my favorite photos of all time," you know they must be something. Check out these pics of the parents feeding the newborns, the eaglets playing in the nest, and learning to use their wings.