KTLA

Bald eagles return to nest in O.C. neighborhood, a welcome sight for residents amid COVID-19 crisis

A female bald eagle takes flight from a tree not far from her nest in a north Orange County neighborhood in this undated photo. The blue tag on the bird’s wing indicates she’s part of an Institute for Wildlife Studies project to rebuild the bald eagle population on the Channel Islands. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

For the last three years, two bald eagles have landed in a north Orange County neighborhood where they have built a nest and tended to eggs in an old, dead tree perched near a gully.

As the world has grappled with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the eagles’ recent arrival has been a source of optimism and joy for the neighborhood.

“It’s just beautiful to see nature thriving in the era of COVID. Life goes on,” area resident Mary Cramer said.

Cramer, 65, recently held a socially distant viewing party in her backyard for neighbors who wanted to take a closer look at the eagles that are perched in a tree about 25 feet from her property. Everyone brought their own lawn chairs, fanned out and sat in the driveway to observe.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.