04.24.07

George, Martha & Angelina: A New Mate Seeks Acceptance

Posted in News at 6:16 pm by Dawn Miller

I was surprised to open up the Washington Post metro section a while ago to read a tongue-in-cheek story on the saga of George, Martha, and Angelina - three bald eagles who have captured the attention of our nation’s capitol. As the story goes, George and Martha were life-long mates and produced 16 eaglets. They earned their names and much media attention from the fact that they nested happily each year amid the gynormous cacophony of the Wilson Bridge construction project.

The eagles and their love triangle have provided much melodrama for the bridge construction workers. A younger eagle, dubbed Angelina by the reporter (the bridge workers haven’t yet reached a consensus on her name - opting for Angelina, Camilla, and Charlotte the Harlot), attacked Martha mid-air, and injured her. The attack made national headlines, and Martha recovered at a rescue facility and rejoined her beloved George - a delightfully fairy-tale ending. But she flew into some power lines, broke an elbow joint in her wing, and was euthanized in October. The Wilson Bridge project even has a photo memoriam to Martha on its website, in addition to a press release.

Now alone - George the widower has apparently found a new mate in Angelina - but he’s moving on a little too soon for the construction workers nearby, who have their feathers ruffled about the whole thing. The bridge spokesperson, who is having a ball commenting on the love lives of three eagles, stated that George and Angelina are courting. They started out sitting near each other, and now sit in the nest together. Apparently though, they have not yet produced any eggs - George is taking his time.

Even bloggers have noted that the construction workers will need to make their peace with George’s new mate apparent, and Anorak has commented on the cultural overtones being used to describe the love triangle.

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