Bald eagles return to Dallas

A pair of mating American bald eagles returned to their nest at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center this month, after several months away.

The eagles were first spotted in their nest, in the arm of a metal tower at the wetland center, early on Oct. 3.

Why it matters: Bald eagles are rare in North Texas. There are only a few hundred in the entire state.

Context: These two eagles have wintered at the wetlands, 30 miles south of downtown Dallas, since 2012.

• Last year the pair lost an eaglet, named JBS14 because it was their fourteenth offspring, and built a new nest about 500 feet from their old one.
• When they returned this year, they were accompanied by a juvenile eagle, JBS15.

State of play: Director of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center John DeFillipo tells Axios that the eagles have been “practicing” for this year’s mating season.

• Eagles engage in what ornithologists call a “cloacal kiss.”

What we’re watching: You can watch the nest around the clock on the wetland center’s Eagle Tower Camera.