NARROWSBURG, NY — A pair of bald eagles was spotted in a pine tree above Little Lake Erie in Narrowsburg on December 19. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, it’s estimated that more than 200 different eagles visit some part of the Delaware River between mid-December and mid-March, when most of the eagles leave the area for breeding and feeding grounds in the north.

Many of the eagles that visit the region in the winter are attracted by the open waters of the Upper Delaware River, which provide a source of fish. It’s not clear if this pair is one that takes up residence in the valley year-round, or leaves in March, but it’s likely that a dead squirrel on the ground beneath the tree attracted them to this spot, as eagles are both hunters and scavengers. Bald eagles typically mate for life.