Update: Bald Eagle Chicks

The chicks fledged on May 16, 2021!

It was accidental, but they did it. They took the leap. They were perched, single file, on a thin branch jutting out of their nest nearly 50 feet in the air. Both were practicing flapping their wings. This time, however, one flapped its wings and seemed to lose its balance, knocking both chicks off the branch!

It was not clear from the Duke Farms video cam what happened next. All we saw was the confusion of two chicks flapping their wings and tumbling together. Turned out that the chicks got lucky. They recovered, fledged, and were spotted flying around Duke Farms a few hours later. They also returned to the nest over the next two days, so training has not been suspended!  

Often, what is really needed when you’re learning something new is a simple “let’s do it”. Duke Farms produced a YouTube video using Van Halen’s song “Jump!”.

It is not just an analysis of the risk—the pros and cons—it is also having the courage to “just do it”, as Nike’s slogan says. Seeing those two chicks “just do it” was an awesome and inspiring sight. Sometimes all we need is a “let’s go!”