Perhaps too much curiosity or just the inexperience of youth. Whatever the reason might be, two of our national birds met with untimely demise in Montana.

Sadly, authorities will tell you it isn't that uncommon. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks tells us that two of three fledgling bald eagles from what is commonly known in Miles City as the Main Street Nest were electrocuted and killed earlier this week.

Montana FWP received a call Wednesday morning from a Miles City resident who reported finding two immature bald eagles deceased beneath an electric pole near Cook Lake, which is directly across from the Main Street eagle nest. A Warden Captain determined that the eagles, which were lying close together on the ground, had been electrocuted. Both had burn marks on their bodies.

Some Miles City residents reported a brief power outage Tuesday evening, and FWP officials believe the eagles could have been electrocuted then.

Those who have been watching the youngsters In recent weeks say the eagles have been fledging, or learning to fly, spending a lot of time on the ground and taking short test flights.  People have been watching the mating pair of adults for months. They had three chicks, which is a bit rare in bald eagles, so fortunately, there’s still a surviving chick.

The couple is no stranger to the media spotlight. They have been a successful nesting pair, returning to the same nest year after year and raising many healthy chicks. All the while, wildlife lovers around the world have enjoyed watching the cycle play out on the "Eagle Cam" mounted near the nest.

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