January 2016 – I found myself at the Rondout Reservoir on Route 55A in Grahamsville, watching the antics of the adult Bald Eagles who live there year round. In early March I was thrilled to observe them sitting on their nest, incubating the egg or eggs that would soon hatch. This year the nest was nursery to just one chick, not the usual two, so this year we had an only child to dote on.
People came from far and near to marvel at the eagles; some with cameras, some with binoculars and some simply with interest and appreciation for what they were privileged to see. We all watched the adults fly in with food and we watched the baby grow from a small fuzz ball to a fledgling, both grand and adorable at the same time. When I last saw the juvenile it was in its third month of life – out on a tree limb but motionless. It was not exercising its wings or jumping up and down so I thought it might stick around for a while.
I was wrong. About a week later I returned and to my dismay I found no juvenile and no parents. There were no spectators at the fence that protects the eagles from intrusion and motorists whizzed by without stopping at all. The nest had served its purpose well and the parents had done their job splendidly. I knew that this was the way of nature, the way it is supposed to be… but I was filled with a poignant sense of loneliness and empty nest syndrome. I felt like I was in a ghost town.
July 2016 - I joyfully observe and photograph other birds and wildlife that abound in Sullivan County. From time to time, though, my mind wanders back to the adult eagles in Grahamsville. I am hopeful that the circle of life will repeat itself in the spring of 2017 – that these magnificent birds will produce a new generation at the Reservoir and I will have the privilege of witnessing the unforgettable process from hatchling to fledgling once more.
 — Gloria Wagenknecht
Warblings, Fall 2016
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