Driving on Route 28? 2 new eaglets on the wing from Harmar nest

The skies above Route 28 in Harmar just got busier as two young bald eagles made their first successful flights this week from their nest perched high above the busy highway.

The Harmar bald eagles are on their second nest on the same steep hillside towering above Route 28 and the Allegheny River. They have been nesting there since 2014.

Both young fliers have been seen circling the skies above Route 28 in Harmar, according to Gina G. Gilmore of Fox Chapel, a photographer who has been following the eagles since 2013.

The year’s first eaglet fledged on Tuesday, and sometime thereafter the second bird left the nest.

Both birds were seen flying Friday. They have been returning to the nest between flights.

In years past, the young eagles would hone their flight skills around the rockface along Route 28, sometimes finding a safe landing space there.

The eagle family will stay in the area for the next month or so as the parents continue to feed the young birds as they improve their flight skills before striking out on their own.

The family will also frequent the Allegheny River.