Video: Baby bald eagles born in Burlington. Here’s where you can spot them

Burlington’s bald eagle population has just increased by two.

The eaglets have been born on Royal Botanical Garden (RBG) property and along with their parents have been garnering a few curious onlookers.

“RBG welcomed two baby bald eagles this spring at Cootes Paradise!” was the birth announcement made through social media channels.

According to the RBG, the birth of the eaglets, along with the return of their parents, is a promising indication of a successful conservation effort.

“We work hard to help nurture the natural habitat at RBG,” said Tys Theysmeyer, Head of Natural Lands at RBG. “Species like bald eagles nesting and thriving is very exciting.”

The nest of the youngsters is located near the MarshWalk Boardwalk at Cootes Paradise.

The RBG points out that to clearly see the nest and the young birds you will need binoculars or a spotting scope. They nest in an area 300 metres west of the boardwalk in a large pine tree.

Visitor access to the area is through the Arboretum, It is about a 1.2 km walk over hilly terrain.

“Please remain on the trails and respect the privacy of these beautiful birds,” the RBG says.

In 2013 the RBG was home to the first eaglets to hatch on the Canadian shoreline of Lake Ontario in over 50 years

“Royal Botanical Gardens has the perfect environment to convince Bald Eagles to settle in,” according to the RBG website. “These large predators need at least 100 hectares of undisturbed forest to nest and roost, plus an adjacent 50 hectares of wetlands to allow them to catch fish.”

To celebrate the births the RGB is having a naming contest. To enter follow this link (and scroll to the bottom). Then vote on the short-list at http://rbg.ca/bald-eagles (June 12-15). The winners will be given a one-year RBG membership!