An unusual pairing is being watched closely by wildlife experts and enthusiasts alike at the end of a treed lane in Sidney.

A large eagles鈥� nest at the end of Third Street overlooking Shoal Harbour, is the home to three eaglets. And while that in itself is somewhat unusual, it鈥檚 the guest in the nest that has birders all a-twitter.

The eagles have been feeding and taking care of Red-Tailed hawk chicks. At first there were two, but observers are saying now there is only the one left. David Hancock, an eagle specialist who started the Hancock Wildlife Foundation and who operates live-streaming Eagle Cams in some 400 locations, says what is rare, is the eagles are raising so many young.

鈥淲hat is rare here is the fact the eagles are not only raising three young (of their own) 鈥� this pair is a consistent three-chick pair,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he unusual thing this year is (the nest) had two Red-Tailed hawk chicks in it. But now it only has one.鈥�

Hancock said the chicks were 鈥減robably stolen鈥� as a food source for the eagles from a nearby hawk鈥檚 nest.

鈥淎nd then the whole behaviour changes,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 now in a nest where you don鈥檛 kill hooked-beak things that squawk and beg for food. You kill other things to feed the hooked-beak thing.鈥�

However, the little hawk is apparently living a charmed life. Hancock added the young eagles could turn on the remaining guest.

鈥淭hey certainly could. One quick jab aggressively, which they often are with each other, could do a little Red-Tail in hawk in. He鈥檚 lived a charmed life.鈥�

He said he is not sure what happened to the second hawk chick that others described as being in the nest earlier.

Hancock added eagles and hawks are normally competitors for food sources and territory in the wild 鈥� but not overly so.

鈥淎nd good wishes for this little rascal. We all wish him well,鈥� Hancock said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got some other, bigger challenges to face coming up 鈥� he鈥檚 grown up with eagles. Is he going to think they are his buddies? The next eagle he encounters if he makes it off the nest isn鈥檛 likely going to think the same way, unfortunately.鈥�

There have been a variety of people coming by to see the nest, including Victoria鈥檚 Sandra Jacobsen.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 pass this up,鈥� she said I really didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 get the chance to see the little guy. But I thought I鈥檓 going to wait here until he gets up, and he did. Just a great little guy. Terribly exciting.鈥�