All three beloved White Rock Lake eaglets have successfully begun to take flight.
Since their hatching in March, the eaglets — named Rocky, Lucky and Stoney by White Rock residents — have drawn crowds of observers and wildlife photographers. They have also amassed a following on social media through a Facebook fan page with over nine thousand members.
On May 29, Brett Johnson, the conservation manager for Dallas Park and Recreation, was told by concerned park visitors one of the eaglets had fallen from the nest.
Johnson previously told The Dallas Morning News this fall was a normal part of the learning process as the eaglets moved from the branching phase to the fledging phase. During branching, eaglets hop from branch to branch. Fledging is when the eaglets begin to take flight.
Now, Chris Morris, Dallas Park and Recreation’s urban biologist, says all three eaglets are well into the fledging stage. He estimates the second eaglet began to fly on June 5, followed by the third on June 7. Morris said the eaglets appeared to be performing well.
At this stage, Morris said, the eaglets take flight for five to 10 minutes as their muscles grow stronger, resting in between. He anticipates the eaglets will be fully flying and out of the fledging state by Juneteenth, or June 19.
Morris, Johnson and the city forester continue to monitor the eaglets, even coming in on weekends to ensure the safety of the eaglets and that pedestrians and cyclists are not infringing upon the space of the birds.
Dallas Park and Recreation is urging park visitors, birdwatchers and photographers to stay at least 300 feet away from the eaglets and their nests.
Morris says the large crowds gathering to observe the eagles have been successfully controlled with the installation of barriers. He encourages park visitors to stay behind the barriers. Coming too close to the nest poses a risk of injuring the eaglets, Morris said, and the adult eagles could become defensive over their young and injure humans or pets.
When the first eaglet fell out of the nest, Park and Recreation closed the road near the eagles’ nest along East Lawther Drive between the playground and the Dreyfuss split to cyclists and pedestrians. Johnson previously told The News these restrictions would remain in place until the eaglets had powered flight. Morris confirmed the road remains closed along this stretch, and barriers will be in place until the eaglets are out of the fledging stage.
Morris said Dallas Park and Recreation is excited about the three eaglet’s survival.
“It happens to be America’s 250th anniversary, so it’s really awesome that we have our national bird here within the city limits of Dallas so easily accessible to the public,” Morris said.
Rebecca Hamlin, president of the North Texas Wildlife Center, a nonprofit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, previously told The News that upon learning to fly, the eaglets would spend time with their parents at the nest, whom White Rock residents named Nick and Nora. This will mark the post-fledging stage, during which eaglets can leave the nest but are not quite ready to survive independently.