Bald eagles return to nest in Orange County neighborhood

A female bald eagle takes flight from a tree not far from her nest in north Orange County containing two juvenile eagles. The blue tag on the bird’s wing indicates she’s part of an Institute for Wildlife Studies project to rebuild the bald eagle population on the Channel Islands. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Juvenile bald eagles perch on branches at left and right as one of the parent bald eagles lands on a branch from their nest high in a tree in north Orange County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

One of two juvenile bald eagles ventures from its nest to a nearby branch in a tree in north Orange County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Juvenile bald eagles feed in the nest as parent bald eagles keep watch high in a tree in north Orange County. The tag on the female, at right, identifies her as a Channel Island resident. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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One of two juvenile bald eagles surveys the land from its perch on a tree in a north Orange County backyard. Experts say their first flights can typically start at 9 or 10 weeks of age. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A female bald eagle flies back to her perch above the nest containing two chicks. Residents of the Orange County neighborhood where the birds have made their home say this is the third year two adult bald eagles have returned to raise chicks. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A male bald eagle perches on a branch not far from the nest containing two chicks. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Times staff photographer Allen J. Schaben is an award-winning journalist capturing a wide range of images over the past 34 years. Before joining The Times, he honed his craft at the Detroit Free Press, Dallas Morning News, Wichita Eagle and Connecticut Post. Schaben earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993.