After 3 years, American bald eagle love birds have an eaglet in Shelby Township

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – After 3 years of challenges Shelby Township’s American bald eagle love birds, Peter and Sarah, have fledged an eaglet.

The eagles live in Holland Ponds Park at 50385 Ryan Road in Shelby Township.

The park’s couple of nesting bald eagles, are named in honor of Peter and Sarah Lerich, operators of an Underground Railroad stop at their Spring Hill Farm.

In 2023, more than 3,500 votes were cast in the poll to name the pair.

The love birds began nesting in Holland Ponds Park in 2023, this year marks the first successful nesting after several challenging breeding seasons.

The pair first tried for eaglet in 2023, but the eggs never hatched.

The next breeding season in 2024 the couple suffered a severe windstorm resulting in the loss of eaglets after they were blown from the nest.

For their third attempt in 2025, the pair again experienced tragedy when chicks were lost to a predator.

Despite these challenges, the eagles returned each year to rebuild and nest again.

The couple demonstrated strong site fidelity, a common trait among bald eagles in established territory.

The love birds’ persistence in 2026, lead to an addition to their family with one successful eaglet.

The eaglet is currently in it’s fledging stage.

The fledging stage means the eaglet will leave the nest and can fly for the first time.

For bald eagles, fledging typically happens when the eaglet is large enough and its flight feathers are developed enough to support sustained flight.

Once fledged, eaglets continue to rely on their parents for several weeks while they develop survival skills.

Bald eagles hatch covered in light gray down feathers.

Once the eaglet is in their juvenile stage they gain a brown and white appearance.

Bald eagles grow their mainly recognized white head and tail feather around 5-years-old.

American bald eagles were removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007, but remain under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Local observers and photographers have been documenting the love birds’ nesting activity over multiple seasons.

Local wildlife photographer Dennis LaVergne provides the Shelby Township with regular updates.

The park was once associated with industrial impacts including federal cleanup efforts tied to its designation as a Superfund site, now the area has been restored into a healthy natural habitat.