The raccoons are fun to watch in their aerie. Sometimes raccoons will sneak into an eagle nest and steal an egg or a new chick but eagle parents seldom leave the nest for more than a minute when there are eggs or chicks, and it's a great risk for the raccoons.

A young raccoon might be a tempting meal for an eagle but not a full-grown one. An adult raccoon can defend itself successfully from most any predator, dog or eagle.

We were just bemused that the raccoons were hanging out in this abandoned eagle nest, and at the reaction from the regular eagle watchers. It takes a little effort to learn how to navigate the Hancock Forum Eagle website; one can sift through the photos that people post each day or watch the live cams. I've never had the patience to learn but Judy spends hours each day!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble