NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A bald eagle made a brief stop this past week in a Newtown Borough backyard, where resident Tim Jones said he and his son watched the bird from close range before it flew off to the south.

Jones said the sighting began while they were outside playing catch. “We were playing catch in our backyard and heard a crow flying and making a ton of noise,” Jones said. “We looked up and saw that the crow was making the noises at the eagle in the tree.”

According to Jones, the eagle stayed in the tree for about 25 to 30 minutes. “It hung out in the tree for a good 25-30 minutes or so, then ultimately flew off and headed south,” he said. Jones said they tried to keep track of it after it left the tree. “We followed it in hopes that it would land again, but we lost it.”

What stood out first was the bird’s size, Jones said. “First thing my son and I thought of was how large it was–especially once we got closer,” Jones said. “By far the biggest bird we’ve ever seen around here in-person.” He also described watching the eagle scan the area from its perch. “It was very cool to see if surveying the area around–searching for food, I’m assuming.”

(Photo by Tim Jones)

Jones said the bird appeared aware of the activity below. “He looked at us a few times, because we were making clapping noises in hopes of seeing it fly!” he said.

For Jones, the moment was especially notable because he said he had not seen a bald eagle in that area before. “This is the first sighting I’ve ever had of a bald eagle in our area,” Jones said.

The sighting also made an impression on his son. “My son was nervous about the eagle thinking that we were food,” Jones said. “I assured him that we were too big to be prey for it!”

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the recovery of the bald eagle has been one of the great wildlife conservation stories in the history of both Pennsylvania and the nation.

“Equally as moving is seeing a bald eagle in flight or tending its nest. It’s something every Pennsylvanian should experience,” said the commission.

Given the incredible comeback of the species, the chances of seeing a bald eagle in the wild now are greater than they have been in Pennsylvania for the past 100 years.