Here in James City County, Virginia, we live “elbow to elbow” with wildlife of all sorts.
Situated between Tidewater and the Piedmont, a lot of our land remains undeveloped as forest, marsh, or swamp. Our older neighborhoods were built to blend in to the environment.
Only in recent years has our county government focused more on making money than on preserving the beautiful and rich environment we’ve inherited.
We watch the clear cutting for new shopping centers and housing tracts with great sadness.
Not five miles from here, a developer is cutting new roads through the forests, destroying creeks, ravines, hillsides, and habitat in order to create a new office and retail park near a new hospital complex.
Someone is making gazillions of dollars, but acres and acres of beautiful forest and wildlife habitat are destroyed each day as this project continues.
I can only imagine the back room negotiations which allowed this project to move forward.
James City County was known, at one time, as an area with an unusually high number of different species of birds.
Part of the path of annual migration up and down the East Coast of the United States, birds have been drawn to our area to rest and eat along the way.
Many, like these lovely eagles, make our community their home, too.
Just a few years ago, an out of town owner planned to develop this beautiful bit of land with several new homes squeezed in between College Creek and a major road.
The presence of eagle’s nests was one of the factors which helped stop the deal from progressing.
We are always glad to see the eagles. Their very presence is testament that the land and water are still clean enough to support them and their eaglets.
So long as they choose to live here, we know the environment will support us, too.
Photos by Woodland Gnome 2014
Forest Garden 
I love your pictures! I wonder if there are eggs in the nest? We have a couple eagles that fly around here occasionally but I don’t have any idea where there nest is, wish I could find it 🙂
We have lots of visible nests here. Many near the roads. The eagles fly over our home and garden daily on their hunts. They are always a welcome and beautiful sight. When you two head up this way you’ll be amazed at how easy the nests are to spot. We don’t have cameras on them, but often you can see the little ones looking out over the nest for parents returning with food. So glad you like the eagle photos 😉
It’s sad that people put profit over the environment and the wildlife that lives there. We have an issue here with wind turbines that a Texas company wants to install in the bay. Originally it was decided they would have to do an environmental impact study, particularly in regards to how they will effect the Bald Eagles, but the governor of Maryland vetoed that idea and gave the company the go-ahead on the grounds that installing the turbines will create jobs and revenue.
Extremely frustrating- these governors seem to be more businessmen and politicians than statesmen. An environmental impact study should be required- especially in how the footings will affect the bottom of the Bay and aquatic life. I would guess they will generate an enormous amount of vibration which may disrupt the dolphins and impact the eagles. It seems like many people go into politics for the profits made accessible by these positions of power- Hope you’ve enjoyed this beautiful day, WG
It is so distressing to see what humans can do to ruin things. I’m glad the eagles know a good thing when they see it though. Lovely photos and a truly beautiful area.
It is still a lovely area. We are amazed at how much construction has been approved just in the last 5 years. Zoning Boards, Boards of Supervisors, and Wetland commissions are clearly now on the side of the developers around here, and what is destroyed can never be replaced.We are appreciative that so much land is protected by the Federal Government in one way or another- WG
It is sad that some people have so little value for wildlife. We are the only species that knowingly pollutes its own environment. Crazy or what?
Criminal- and crazy. Best wishes to you, Eliza. Thank you for visiting Forest Garden. Elizabeth