Nature Done Wright

  With not much new happening on the screech-owl front, yesterday a friend and I went for a run on River Road in Teaneck — in search of bald eagles that have been seen along the Hackensack.

  Running is an environmentally friendly way to go birding and, if you don’t mind carrying binoculars, a good way to get some exercise as well.

  Our destination was a park on River Road where it connects with Englewood Avenue. As many as four eagles have been seen thereabouts, including one sighting yesterday morning  near the tennis courts at the river’s edge.

  Halfway there, we hit pay dirt. As we passed Terhune Park on River Road, we saw two young eagles, maybe 100 yards off the ground, briefly lock talons before leisurely flying off together over the river.

  I have read that locking talons is part of bald eagles’ courtship ritual. This pair appeared to be juveniles since their heads and tails were still brownish.  Young love?

Click here for photo gallery from The Record of eagles spotted in Bergen County

  It is worth noting that although eagles have been seen along the Hackensack River for several weeks, no nesting pairs have been reported yet. And eagles’ nests can be hard to miss, since they are often eight feet or more in diameter.

  Eagle sightings in North Jersey are definitely on the rise. (I wrote an article for The Record about sightings in Woodcliff Lake last month.) Nonetheless, it’s always exhilarating to see these majestic raptors and their seven-foot wingspans. For now at least, you may not have to drive over to the Delaware River near Port Jervis to see them.

  A bit of trivia: "bald" in this instance does not mean hairless — it’s an old English word for "white." When you see adult bald eagles, with their bright white heads and tails, you’ll know how the bird got its name in olden days.