Bald Eagle Makes Veterans Day Appearance In New Lenox

NEW LENOX, IL — With certainly fitting timing, a bald eagle was spotted in New Lenox on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11.

The bird was captured poised on a mound of dirt near new home construction around 9:30 a.m., captured in photos by resident Kevin Kordas. Kordas shared the images on local social media, with many celebrating the bird's appearance as a tribute to the nation's veterans.

"After all, New Lenox is the Home of Proud Americans!" one commenter wrote. "He just landed to check up on us! Thank you for remembering our veterans!"

Sightings could become increasingly more common, experts say. As recently as March 2024, Will County was confirmed to have four active bald eagle nests, with at least seven eaglets hatched in April, Patch previously reported.

This year's new arrivals will further increase the local eagle population because they won't stray too far from home.

Joel Craig, a longtime Forest Preserve volunteer and Will County Audubon Society member, said in a release that an increasing number of immature bald eagles in the winter indicates the ones we're seeing now are residents and not migrants. It's also evidence that we have good, clean water and a healthy fish population to support them year-round.

"To see eagles rebound like they have in this area in the past 10 years has been pretty exciting," Craig said in a release. "To be threatened and endangered when I was a kid to what we’re seeing now, it's really a population explosion in our area over the past few years."

"They're just such majestic birds, it's hard not to be in awe of them..."