A pair of American bald eagles have returned to Jackson County to prepare for this winter’s nesting season.

The eagles are nesting adjacent to the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point.

“In all likelihood, these are the same male and female eagles we first saw in December of last year and at that time they had two young eaglets in their nest,” said Mozart Dedeaux, education coordinator at the center.

Dedeaux said some experts believe these eagles have returned a little early this year. The birds typically return to the same nest for up to five years.

Both sexes of the American bald eagle participate in nest building. The nests may reach enormous dimensions, making bald eagle nests the largest among all bird species.

If visitors are hoping to catch a glimpse of the birds, Dedeaux suggests watching early in the morning.

“People can expect to see the eagles fly in with new materials for their nest, move around up in the tree where their nest is, and build their nest with sticks and large branches,” Dedeaux said.