Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife Program coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, is keeping a close eye on the eagles and their two offspring. About 60 to 70 percent of eagle hatchlings die in the first year. The high fatality rate can result from electrocution, starvation, predators and poaching. Walters is trying to give these hatchlings a fighting chance to survive.

"I used their nest from last year and added other nesting materials I found in the area," he says.

This nesting site on the border of Davis and Salt Lake counties, just east of the Great Salt Lake, is home until the youngsters fledge and find new habitat.

"They're primarily fish eaters, so [they are] attracted to big water, reservoirs and streams," Walters says. "This is a good, productive area for them and has been a successful nesting experience, which is what brings them back every year."

Walters says food sources like rabbits, ducks and carp are in plentiful supply due to waterways in the area. These eagles are the first nesting pair recorded in northern Utah since 1928. Walters suspects that a second nesting pair on the eastern shore of the lake includes one of their offspring.

To provide the public a glimpse of the eagle family, Walters hosted two Watchable Wildlife events in June. About 50 spectators followed Walters to the nesting site, where children and adults took turns observing the nest atop a 40-foot pole overlooking a branch of the Jordan River.

The Johnsons of Pleasant Grove have made the trek to watch the eagles a family ritualÂ.

We've "come out to see the bird refuge every year," Jeff Johnson said as he lifted 4-year-old son Miles to get a glimpse of the nest through the scope.

Photographer Tim Elliott brings his wife, Frances, to see the eagles every year "because they're such beautiful birds."

"It's exciting having them here in the Salt Lake area," he adds. "Being able to capture them with a camera enhances the experience."

The bald eagle has made such a comeback in the lower 48 states that it was removed from the list of endangered species on June 28. Though numbers have increased significantly, the bald eagle will continue to be protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection and the Migratory Bird Treaty acts.

The eagles also can count on help from Walters and the Watchable Wildlife Program. After the eagles leave, Walters will perform yearly maintenance on the pole and nest. He will also host another Watchable Wildlife tour next year.

For Walters, "it's a love affair with nature."