FarmLinks team members and guests have witnessed a number of eagles on the Sylacauga, Ala. golf course over the years, but the latest report of eagles at FarmLinks wasn't about being under par.

Over several weeks, several people have spotted a pair of bald eagles soaring over Sulfur Mountain and Marble Valley or perching in the field just behind the FarmLinks Club House and the eighteenth hole.

FarmLinks' Ben Richardson, who was able to capture a distant photo of the pair, said, "I saw the eagles in one of the standing dead trees and watched them perch on the limbs. One of the eagles had a completely white head and appeared very large, while the other had a few white feathers interlaced with its predominantly brown head. When they finally flew, the flight was synchronized; each eagle would turn and bank at the same time and would fly just a wingspan apart."

Greg Bolton, FarmLinks' director of farm operations, said, " I think it's just awe-inspiring that these majestic birds are part of the wildlife profile here at Pursell Farms. It's definitely not the type of eagle most people expect to see on a golf course."

Delighted to hear of FarmLinks' eagle sighting, Keith Hudson, wildlife biologist with Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries, added, "Bald eagles have increased to the point where it is now not as unusual to see them in our state, particularly along or near large bodies of water and especially during this time of year when they're migrating south to spend the winter in Alabama."

Once in danger of extinction, bald eagle populations dwindled in the 1950s and 1960s. But populations have increased across the nation and now even nest in Alabama, thanks to restoration efforts by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program.

"We're just thrilled to have bald eagles on our property and we hope to monitor, support and encourage their presence here," Bolton said.