Imagine looking at the large pine tree near your backyard and seeing a couple of Bald Eagles making a massive stick and branch nest. That was longtime Nutley resident Eddie Cortese’s experience on Chestnut Street, in this exclusive interview with Nutley Nature News.
“We noticed some activity in Fall 2025, and the eagles actually started building their nest in the pine tree just off our property line.”
When asked what his initial reaction was when he saw the Bald Eagles were building a nest, Cortese said, “I thought it was pretty cool, not realizing we had Bald Eagles in this area. And I’m a nature lover, so I took a lot of interest into it.”
Visitors and neighbors soon also took interest in the new neighbors, and Cortese recounted the scenes that unfolded near his home. “They showed a lot of interest. We started to get people standing at the dead end of our street, just waiting for a glimpse of the eagles. People driving by in their cars, hoping to see a glimpse of the eagles. I would even help them point out where they were and when they would be most active.”
Being an impressive bird of prey isn’t enough to be free from danger, and when asked what dangers they face in Nutley, he replied, “The weather. But they did weather through the winter, and they weathered through those two big storms we had around July 3 and 4. I mean, that tree was really swaying back and forth, and they were holding on, I’m sure, very tight.”
Making memories alongside the Bald Eagles maintaining their nest and fledgling family went side by side for Cortese. When asked what the most memorable eagle moment he experienced was, he recalled, “Above and beyond the eagle pooping on my daughter’s phone while she was standing close to the tree, also when the babies started to take flight and observing the parent and the baby doing a side-by-side test flight, which I thought was pretty cool.”
There was much to learn about his new neighbors, so Cortese took the opportunity to learn more about Bald Eagles. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bald Eagle nests are among the largest nests built by any bird, typically measuring 5 to 6 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet tall. Both the male and female bring materials to the nest, which can be reused and expanded year after year.
When asked what fellow Nutley residents should know about our local Bald Eagles, Cortese responded, “This tree is now registered with the National Registry, Eagle Nest Number 598. And it’s cool. I hope that they stay. From what I read, they may stay and continue to live in that tree as long as it’s here.”
With the chirping whistle sounds of Bald Eagles behind him, Cortese looks to the nest and smiles, “I think everybody who’s into nature, eagles, and birds, come take a look and enjoy it, because that’s what I do.”
Photo credit: Mathew Schwartz