Scandal in the nest! New male bird at nest of eagles Liberty and Justice as year's first egg arrives

By: fox5dc.com staff

POSTED: FEB 14 2019 10:43AM EST

VIDEO POSTED: FEB 14 2019 09:39AM EST

UPDATED: FEB 14 2019 11:23AM EST

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - For about 15 years, eagles Liberty and Justice have raised their eaglets in an oak tree outside the Metropolitan Police Academy in Southwest, D.C.

But for the last five days, there has been no sign of the male bird, Justice. Even more strange, as Liberty remains at the nest with her newly laid egg, a new male bird, named Arron Bird, has been sighted. Oh, the drama -- and during the week of Valentine's Day!

So what is going on? Tommy Lawrence, the managing director at the Earth Conservation Corps., says they have hope Justice will return. He says they have seen instances in the past where male birds have left the nest for as long as two weeks and then have come back. He said eagles mate for life and noted that it would be odd if Justice did not return and fight for his territory.

He said Justice is most likely responsible for the new egg and says if he doesn't return he doubts the new male will help care for it.

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UPDATE

‘They’re back together’: Bald eagle couple in Washington get back together after hiatus

By Dana Hedgpeth March 1

Chime the bells.

The love birds Liberty and Justice — two bald eagles that have nested in a 110-foot tall oak tree on a property in Southwest Washington — are back together.

The pair have had a season of drama at the nest.

They had taken a break after they mated in mid-February and Liberty laid two eggs in the nest they’ve called home for 14 years. Justice took off from the nest and hadn’t been spotted for weeks, although many eagle watchers thought they had seen him. And then wildlife experts thought Liberty had also abandoned the eggs and nest after she flew away for a brief break, too.

The eagles are closely watched on a live eagle camera feed at www.eaglecam.org that’s run in part by the Earth Conservation Corps. The pair has hatched about 22 eaglets from the nest.

Eagle experts said the pair of eggs now in the nest are unlikely to hatch in mid-March because they haven’t been properly incubated.

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