Eagles ready for nesting in Kent near Riverbend Golf Complex

Published 4:24 pm Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Eagles once again are nesting near the Riverbend Golf Complex in Kent along the Green River.

Known as the Riverbend eagles by local observers, the resident pair is busy adding sticks to their next, bonding and preparing for the spring nesting season, according to a March 9 email from Julene Bailie, who has been keeping an eye on the eagles since 2014.

“We have a few nests in the area that have been producing young eagles over the past couple of years, and all are busy preparing for this nesting season,” Bailie said. “We did have a hatch in the Riverbend nest last year, but the young did not survive. We do not know the cause, but we are turning our attention to this season, which we hope will be successful.”

Bailie said the Van Doren’s Landing pair had two eaglets that fledged last season, and some of the other nests also produced two eaglets each. The Van Doren eagles are already sitting on eggs in the nest, verified by Ralph Meier and Steve Gerde, which means there should be eaglets around the end of March. The Riverbend eagles are expected to be sitting on eggs in the middle of March.

Bailie said she and other eagle watchers document nest activity and continue to educate people they encounter on local trails and throughout the area about eagles and their benefit to the community. The Interurban Trail and Green River Trail provide public access.

“Besides being beautiful and fascinating birds to watch, eagles clean up carrion from our roads, which helps prevent the spread of disease,” Bailie said. “They are also an indicator of environmental health, such as water quality. As apex predators, they help control populations of animals including rabbits, squirrels and rats, which can quickly get out of control in the absence of predators.”