THIRD TRIP TO STUDY THE NESTING OF BALD EAgps 

 IN PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY, VIRGINIA - Feb. 19, 1939 



This account of our final t|p$> to study the 

 American Bald Eagle during its breeding season* 

 near the coast of Virginia describes the same 

 area and the same nests - and probably the same 

 adult birds we had encountered in 1937 and again 

 in 1938. The latter possibility, is reinforced by 

 the finding of three eggs this year in the same 

 nest in which we found two newly hatched chicks 

 and an egg ready to hatch last year. 



Dad and I left Charlottesville about k AM 

 and arrived at the old Kiwar}£s Cam0d escribed 

 in detail in last year's account. We proceeded, 

 as before up the beach toward Little Creek to 

 the first nest we visited in 193? (see my map 

 and Nest #1). Unfortunately, there was no sign 

 whatsoever that the nest was being used, so we 

 went on through the woods along the arm of land 

 that juts out into Little Creek to Nests #2 &. 3. 



On arriving at Nest #2 where we had found 

 the Great Horned Owls last year there was the 

 same evidence around the tree that the Owls 

 were in residence. So without delay I climbed . 

 the tree hoping we might obtain a clutch of eggs 

 At the nest I found two young Great Horned Owls 

 obviously just a week and two weeks old, respec- 

 tively. There was also the rear half of a cotton 

 tail rabbit and the bones and several skulls of 

 small mammals. The adult owls stayed in the 

 vicinity all the time we were there uttering an 

 occasional low call and moving about? but at no 

 time did they come very close to the nest. I 

 took several pictures and some notes then des- 

 cended the tree. 



Since Nest #3 was about one hundred yards 

 away we moved cautiouly and quietly toward it 

 only to witness the adult female (white haed and 

 tail) glide off the nest and disappear. We saw 

 her only once after that when I was at the nest 

 taking notes and pictures. The huge, two-pronged 



